Office Workers In Hell
by Richard Banker
Summary: Nikki believes that her life is boring and mundane, working among some of the worst colleagues imaginable, until a certain Scott appears to change everything. Helen/Nikki.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All the characters used within this story are the property of Shed Productions. I am using them solely to explore my creative ability.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This piece is dedicated to the real life character I have known who bears a close resemblance to the darker side of Bodybag whom, thank

God, I am no longer working with and showed that real life to me sometimes can be as extreme as drama. I'm not sure how it will take shape.

Office Workers in Hell

By

Richard

Part One

Stubberfield's shiny new car was parked in one of the managers places in the car park and he picked up his brief case with his sense of self importance

as he made his way to his private office, the symbol of what he had achieved while those below him were out in the open in the large anonymous open plan

office. First thing he did was to go and "chat to the staff" and he made his way to Jim Fenner sitting confidently back in his swivel chair and exchanged

a chat about the golf match he had played over the weekend. Even at his age, somehow he managed to scrape ahead in the match while Fenner fluffed his opening

shots on the last few holes though he had to hand it to Fenner, he was a sporting loser. He couldn't linger long but Sylvia Hollamby grabbed his attention

next. It was good to have Sylvia working in the office. Of the half dozen clerical workers, she had elbowed her way as 'top dog', always waylaying him

with some problem in the offing that she had spotted while the rest of them just sat back and didn't say anything. She and Fenner made a good team. He

said a quick hello to that Wade woman who always looked at him with thinly veiled contempt in her eyes and passing on quickly, he came across Sylvia's

best friend Maxi who told him in confidence in a corner that that young guy Dominic seemed a bit uncertain and indecisive and "all the girls are a bit

worried about him". She seemed ever so concerned about him so Stubberfield thanked her and congratulated on her showing some of that 'team spirit' that

helped to pull the office together. She smiled gratefully at his words and picked up the next set of paperwork to deal with. He came next to Helen Stewart

whose friendly Scottish accent and pleasing smile was welcome enough but he had heard from Sylvia that she was very quiet about her private life in contrast

to Sylvia whose past distinguished record was available for all to hear. Stubberfield barely nodded at Dominic who was already drinking his second cup

of coffee of the day and looked tired.

Everything was shipshape, thought Stubberfield, I can go back to my office and look at the morning's post.

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"How did you get onto that one so quickly," Maxi asked Sylvia once Stubberfield was out of the door.

"It comes of me being in military intelligence in my last job," preened Sylvia in full flow. "I used to work in the Army in Germany and it trained you how

to think." and Sylvia was in full flow about her past life, how she met Bobby while she was in the Army and how she was living in the lap of luxury till

they split up and she got this present job. That was what gave her such a quick mind. Maxi took this all in open mouthed wonder while Nikki who was in

a state of terminal boredom at this conversation repeated for the twentieth time wished that that the old bag would piss off back to the Army and give

them all a break. Why in hell is she such a maddening self publicist, she groaned to herself?

It was the loud tones that got in the way of her concentration too. In her initial naive belief in justice, she'd had a word with Fenner about it when she'd

first moved there. She'd explained as patiently to what instinct told her was an oily creep that couldn't Sylvia turn the volume down when she spoke as

she had trouble in sitting down to her work when she was told that snobby types like her were used to getting her own way, she should 'muck in' as part

of the team. She might as well have said that Sylvia might be used to acting the sergeant major on the parade ground but she's situated a few feet away

from her behind the barricade between them of her computer and not half way across the car park.

She remembered when she first arrived in her new job after being transferred there and her previous boss had pushed the sales pitch at her about 'how her

special gifts were ideally suited to the job' She knew she had sod all chance at refusing the job and knew also that she had been a thorn in the flesh

of her boss as she had the habit of asking him too many questions. She decided to accept her destiny with as good a grace as she could summon up and settle

down in a new environment.

She had come out of her training when a friendly Scottish voice called out to her.

"Coming up to the canteen." Helen had asked her on her first week there and Nikki had gratefully accepted, pleased to have a friendly face.

"You shouldn't let Old Bodybag get to you," Helen had advised her. "And there's no chance of getting that bastard Fenner to act in any way against Her Majesty's

whims and desires."

"Bodybag," queried Nikki in a puzzled tone. "Why do you call her that?"

"Because she should be buried in one- preferably alive from all the evil strokes she's pulled on people. Best thing is don't let the cow get inside your

head, she's a control freak. And above all, don't let Fenner have a private chat with you in a private interview room with his record of groping the new

women." Helen said passionately.

"He'd have a shock if he tried anything on with me, Helen." Nikki grinned to herself . When she went on to say that he wasn't her type, she didn't mention

that it was not just because he was such a creep but she thanked Helen for the advice.

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Sure enough, it only took a short time when Fenner asked Nikki in an apparently casual aside that he wanted to have a chat about how she was getting on

in her training and even more nonplussed that he had fixed up a private interview room. He's got to be kidding, she thought, till she realised that she

didn't have 'lesbian' tattooed on her forehead and looked not much different from your ordinary office worker, smartly enough dressed in her usual trousers

and shirt and her hair wasn't that short really. She was ready for him.

After the preliminaries he started saying in a particularly oily fashion that "new girls" if they "knew what was good for them" made an effort to get on

with the boss and he'd "see her all right", after all, he did her end of year appraisal report. Nikki brightly blanked him by saying that she made an effort

to get on with all people, men or women, gay or straight. Fenner completely missed that one and went on to say that if she wanted someone to "look after

her" he was her man to which Nikki said brightly with a smile on her face that she was used to looking after herself and, out of work, her girlfriend looked

out for her and vice versa. She also asked innocently what feedback did she have as to how she was getting on in her training. Fenner in a stiff unfriendly

voice said that it took months before anyone in her job was any use, you had to be around a long time like Sylvia and that she ought to look to her for

advice and feedback. Somehow, a chill hung on the air and the interview was cut rather short with an emphasis on over polite formalities. Nikki thanked

him graciously and with slightly overdone enthusiasm, said she couldn't wait to get back to her training.

It didn't take more than a few hours for Sylvia to start acting awkward in her period of training. The job she was on was calculating benefit overpayments

and she thought that having been on computers paying benefits out and being a dab hand at that, she ought not to need too much training to pick up on this.

That was mistake number one as she soon realised that she was entering a world of detection where what was on in front of her computer screen and the paperwork

on the face of it didn't make sense and if someone somewhere along the line had slipped up then she need not take the calculation beyond that point. If

there were a clear consistent set of guidelines explained to her, that would be fine but she was faced by a "Contrary Mary" who seemed to change the rules

as she went along.

"But I distinctly remember the way you explained things the other day" Nikki said patiently, still keeping her end up and Bodybag would go off into a spiel

and explain totally the opposite and it all went round in her head finishing with an "Ummm, I don't think that Mr Fenner will be very much impressed with

you when you come out of your training" with an accusing look in her eyes. It was all designed to shred Nikki's confidence, bit by bit, and luckily, she

could see what was going on. Nikki was acute enough to see Bodybag as the overgrown version of the school bully using psychological tactics by saying,

"Oooooh, wait till teacher spots that one, you'll be in deep trouble" and making sure that teacher did get to know.

Catching a look of extreme sympathy from Helen who was stuck behind her computer away from Bodybag as part of the barricade buttressed by assorted codes

and folders, Nikki took her courage with both hands.

"Helen, can you come up for early tea break with me."

They both made a fairly rapid dash out of the room and split seconds later, Bodybag was talking to all concerned about her behind her back.

"Guess what I've heard on the grapevine, that Nikki Wade is one of those sort of women, you ought to be careful about getting too friendly with her," not

saying anymore so as to build up the dramatic moment. Sure enough Maxi fell for it, hook line and sinker so that Bodybag could go into dramatic mode and

go into full flow that things weren't like this when she was growing up, she never knew of such things, it was all these 'do gooders' on television shoving

gay rights down people's throats. You can thank your lucky stars, Maxi said, that 'they' don't make it compulsory. Once those two got going, no one else

got a look in.

"You are aware," Helen said with a grin "that Bodybag is blackening your character right now, how bad you are at your job, etc., etc."

"Like I'm a lesbian," cut in Nikki "as I told that Fenner creep that one.......oh, didn't you know?"

"That's cool," Helen said, totally unfazed on the surface though that was something she didn't expect. "Come on, Nikki, Bodybag leaves work religiously

at 4pm and comes in at 8 on the dot as if she was still in the bloody army, like Fenner and Maxi. You and I are late starters and late finishers so you

sit in with me and we'll sort out the crap Bodybag's been telling you. I have a nasty suspicion that you're being 'set up' to fail."

"So long as you don't mind me being all alone with you" Nikki smiled ironically at her.

"Come on, Nikki" grinned Helen. "we're doing bloody work, not whispering sweet nothings to each other from opposite sides of the computer. Not that we shouldn't

give a little performance when we come down suspiciously late so that scandalous gossip can be spread around. Come on, we'll have a bit of fun with them."

It was well into the day after next that the way they sashayed down together arm in arm and went back to their desks kept the gossips going in "shock /

horror" mode for the next week and a bit and also their late night working together. Nikki smiled ironically to herself that all that really happened was

that, an hour at a time, she was learning more from Helen's clear calm explanations than Bodybag's officious army style hectoring has taught in ten times

the time.

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Dominic was one of those nervous, self effacing guys that Maxi, Fenner and Bodybag had got under their collective thumb. He was officially equal to Fenner

but he had that totally fatal willingness to please whom Helen and Nikki felt sorry for but the others took advantage of. He and Fenner were supposed to

share the work equally but Fenner had been there ages and "knew the ropes" and Dominic looked to him for guidance.

"Don't worry, son," Fenner smiled crookedly at him. "I'll sort out the organisation and you can churn out the decisions." and Dominic naively believed him.

What happened in reality was that Fenner sorted the easy work for himself, left the crap for Dominic and cleared loads of work in comparison with Dominic

who conscientiously plugged away under an increasing mountain of work. Fenner popped into Stubberfield's office and, aside from exchanging golf anecdotes,

promoted himself as Fenner, the guy that did all the work.

Day after day, Dominic dragged himself into the office early and cut himself off like a trappist monk in his single minded drive to keep on top of his work

while Fenner seemed to plough an astonishing volume of work and had plenty of time to chat and gossip. Fenner took care to pick all the work from Bodybag

and, give her her due, she could concentrate and, in her bigoted way, the work was shifted out of her desks.

"If it wasn't for me," bragged Bodybag, "this place would collapse. I've looked at the figures and I'm turning out twice as much work as you, Wade" she

added poisonously. These barbs came over at regular intervals once Nikki had come out of her training, for that read penal servitude under Bodybag's verbal

whiplash. If she couldn't dominate Nikki, she tried to undermine her.

"Sylvia," Helen called out." I know for a fact the short cuts you take from when you were last on holiday. You should be quick, you've been here long enough."

"Why don't you join your little 'lesby' friend," sneered Bodybag, always resorting to that one if all else fails.

"Why don't you buy rent a porno video if you're that interested," sighed Nikki having got to the end of her tether. She was pressured already in the concentration

in trying to work quickly and thoroughly at the same time. The sort of things that in normal times she could ride were less tolerable when she reached

a pitch of screaming fatigue. The other side of her said to herself, look Nikki, it isn't as if there is a family on the other end of your work with not

a penny to your name if you didn't get out the payments fast. There aren't a queue of badly dressed people at the bottom end of society clamouring in a

queue to pay back money they shouldn't have had. The absurdity of the situation got to her at times, not least being the self imposed pressures to clear

the piles of work coming in. At times like this, Bodybag's snide comments were the last straw and she was already losing her patience.

"That's enough of your comments, Wade" Fenner came down on her. She was too tired to disagree, not even to register the fact that Dominic was taking her

work and not a so called experienced checker like Fenner.

"for Christ's sake, Dominic, you're a nice guy but why in hell don't you stand up for me." she muttered to herself and the more charitable side of her felt

for Dominic that he couldn't even stand up for himself.

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Nikki had finished her formal training period and was formally free from Bodybag's 'tutelage' that made Nikki feel less vulnerable. The iron fetters had

been struck off but the downside was emerging from this chrysalis into the dangerous outside world. She now felt the full force of the work pressures on

her in holding up her end of the work. Typical Nikki, she was impatient to prove herself and threw herself into the work.

The days seemed to pass in a blur so that at the end of the day, it was as much as Nikki could do to drag one foot in front of another, stagger home, nod

off in front of the TV and flop into bed. Nighttime which ought to bring release, didn't as she had half awake dreams of figures and puzzles from the daytime

going surrealistically round in her mind. It was almost as if the nighttime Nikki was trying to bolster the efforts of the daytime Nikki and she was burning

the candles at both ends not with riotous living but with overwork.

"Nikki, wake up", Helen called in not too loud a voice as a very tired Nikki had slipped from a barely awake state to seeing the same office in a dream

state. "Come on, we're going to the smoke room for a ciggy. If that is all right" Helen finished in a steely voice that promised anyone who disagreed a

very hard time. Bodybag went red in the face but said nothing, bottling it up for more snide remarks at their expense. Helen knew what would be going on

behind their backs but what the hell. Helen steadied a wobbly Nikki in her passage down the bare corridors awash with harsh neon strip light glare.

Nikki flopped gratefully into a chair and with time for both of them to spare, Helen could take in the extent of her sheer exhaustion.

"Nikki you're driving yourself into the ground." Helen said with real concern. when they talked about work, it emerged that Bodybag had been needling her

with how she could clear 15 assessments a day minimum and Nikki, stung by this, had driven herself up to 10 a day and was feeling stressed out that with

all the drive and concentration, she was starting to drop back.

"The cow." Helen spoke with passion. If those bitches couldn't get you in one way, they would try and get you another. Nikki had let her conscientious nature

be unconsciously exposed and Bodybag took full advantage of it.

"Look here, Nikki. You got to understand a few things. We're completely different people from Bodybag and Maxi."

"I know that but......"

"No you don't get it. We're just doing an ordinary job of work calculating what people should pay back, it's just a job. They're different. There's such

a lot that they hate in life, anyone different, dangerous radicals, lesbians, those who think the Daily Mail is a load of crap, anyone who they think is

out to screw the system when half the time, they've messed up or it's half our fault. We'll never compete with that sort of manic energy and we shouldn't

even try. They're in the wrong job, they ought to work for bailiffs and have the legal power to kneecap people. That's what gives them their drive except

that........"

Nikki smiled wholeheartedly at Helen's fierce loyalty to her and the word 'we' said totally unselfconsciously. Helen was too bloody right. She'd fallen

for it hook line and sinker. She was totally jaded and worn out but anger stirred in her the insidious way Bodybag got under her skin. She'd worked in

an office for a few years but this was like entering Jurassic Park. Trouble is, at least the reptiles were obvious reptiles, not like here.

"Besides, you're not long out of your training. you need to get things right before trying to be superwoman. You need a reasonable figure to work at."

Nikki put a cigarette between her lips and nodded, the solution to her recent troubles so blindingly clear. She had been going at it hell for leather that

she never thought to question her reality. Helen hadn't seen it properly, or Nikki never said so Bodybag got away with her ploy.

"I'll forgive Dom for not spotting it as he's so snowed under like you but that bastard Fenner should have spotted it or perhaps he has and wants to see

you go under. That's what he's paid for. Come on, you're not fit for work, Nikki. I'll take you home."

As they came back to their desks and started to collect their stuff, Bodybag had to stick her oar in.

"Hey, Wade, you've got your numbers to finish off," called out a red faced Bodybag with a nasty glitter in her eyes.

"We're going off early. Mr Fenner," Helen spoke with all the will of iron in her voice she could summon up. "I'm going to take Nikki home. She's not well."

"You're going to tuck her up in bed as well, Stewart"

"It's called 'colleagues caring for staff'. You wouldn't know anything about it unless it was a woman flashing her cleavage at you. Then you keep a 'special

eye' on her." fired back Helen with one of his most overused clichés at him. "Night, Dom." Helen added calling out to him behind the pile of work which

he replied to in a distracted fashion, surprised that someone actually talked to him.

Bugger what they think, Helen thought. I'm confident in who I am. I'm single and unattached and Nikki's a workmate of mine, it's just incidental that she's

gay.

Nikki slumped sideways, head resting on the window as Helen drove her way home. She knew the part of town well that Nikki lived in, in a smartish old type

terraced house.

"Nikki, wake up. Don't think I can carry you." Helen's clear Scottish voice woke Nikki out of a dreamless sleep. Nikki took a few moments to get herself

together, feeling totally done in. She felt for her front door key in her handbag and seemed to spend aged fitting it into her lock.

"If you don't mind, Helen." Nikki said politely. "I'm going to crash out. I'd make you a coffee but I'm going to be no sort of a host. I need to sleep a

week but...thanks. Thanks a lot." Nikki smiled warmly.

Helen seemed almost disappointed that the evening had come to an end but not knowing the reason she suggested meeting up somewhere Saturday lunchtime at

a pub. Nikki sleepily agreed and Helen was homewards bound with the feeling of a good deed well done.

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The kickback happened the next day and Helen had been wondering, first thing in the morning, if she would run into any trouble the next day. She had never

been able to accept the 'office protocol' that forbad real communications between people and to try to thrash out real problems. Instead, life was shackled

into a formal language on the surface like a badly fitting rug that didn't properly cover the 'behind the scenes' gossip and 'knife in the back'. Politicking

and currying favour were totally anathema and the very first phrase that Fenner used about 'knowing what was good for her' rubbed her up the wrong way.

She knew what was just and moral and that was a set of values a million miles removed. Though she hated to admit it, she owed her fundamental values to

her Minister father even though she clashed like crazy with him.

Her spirits were lifted by Nikki's friendly greeting and warm grateful smile and that she looked far perkier and fresher than she had in weeks. The answering

scowls between Maxi and Bodybag, if anything, amused her as they had no authority over her but Fenner did.

Sure enough, Fenner wasn't at his desk but he'd left her a curt note to report to the private interview room at 10am. Right to the back of her mind she

pushed the possibility of a 'friendly grope between office colleagues' as she'd dealt with that try on years ago and the recent gossip about her and Nikki

Wade made that still less likely. She hesitated a fraction before knocking at the door and psyched herself ready for anything.

"I'm reading you the riot act about your unprofessional behaviour last night. That's not the way you speak to your office colleagues, still less your boss."

Fenner opened the attack, face scowling but, bastard as he was, keeping within the bounds of official correctness, even though everything in his manner

spoke otherwise.

Helen bit her lip. She knew she would have to backtrack and the words were forced out of her mouth to apologise to him.

"But I've got a complaint in turn, Jim Fenner. Nikki Wade has been under the cosh for weeks, anyone can see it and you have said nothing, done nothing or

even asked her to come out with the obvious problems that she's under pressure most of all, just out of training." Helen said with controlled forcefulness

though inside she was shaking with anger. "There has been obvious problems that me, Dom and Nikki are working our butts off and for some reason you, Sylvia

and Maxi are having it easy."

"We can't help it if we can clear the work and your lot can't. See we even come in first thing in the morning and sort through all the work for everyone."

said Fenner smoothly.

"There's something that doesn't make sense." Helen said thoughtfully. "Anyway, I'll watch what I say in future, there's better ways of saying things but,

in return, people are going to have to stop making stupid remarks about me and Nikki. We're run into the ground and exhausted and remarks like we got at

a time like that don't help."

Fenner glared at Helen frustrated that the woman that was the symbol of all that blocked him at every turn had turned the tables on him. Not only that but

his and Bodybag's plan to grind Nikki down with overwork was blocked by Helen. The fact that she was an attractive woman and didn't want to be 'one of

his girls' maddened him further.

"Will that be all," Helen half smiled "as I've work to catch up"

And with that she made her exit and was psyched up to be ready for Bodybag when she got back.

"I wouldn't have liked to be in your shoes, Helen." Bodybag said in a low tone. "Not getting on with your colleagues can look bad on your report. You don't

know what sort of bad reputation you can get." She said this, eyes staring at Helen's for the faintest trace of disquiet or upset that she could capitalise

on. She had done this so often to Dom that he was scared of even her slightest disapproval and she knew it.

Deny everything in face and deed, Helen said to herself. No matter how angry you feel, make it appear the most inconsequential thing imaginable. A brick

wall will block her off and frustrate her.

"Whatever made you think it was bad news, Sylvia," Helen said with a broad smile." He was having a chat about holidays in Scotland and wanted my advice."

Bodybag went red in the face and her eyes glittered and said she didn't believe a word Helen said to which Helen nonchalantly said she could believe what

she liked and she could check it with Jim if she wanted as if that was the last thing in her mind she was worried about.

Nikki had a huge grin on her face not least as she was worried while Helen was away and Bodybag and Maxi were speculating so she could hear how badly Helen

was likely to get on. She totally admired the way Helen had cleverly blanked Bodybag and was amused by her obvious snappishness as a result. Both of them

attacked their work with a new vigour. Pity Dom was buried in his work and oblivious to everything. Nikki was immediately sorry for him walking like he

was a shadow and feeling so bad about himself he dare not speak to anyone.

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One of Bodybag's many irritating habits was intercepting all the phone calls that came in. Helen figured out that it was either that she was a compulsive

talker or wanted to show off her self importance and how knowledgeable she was. If Helen had one prevailing image of Bodybag, besides her size and bad

vibrations emanating from her was her with a phone jammed against her ear. Her dealings with other people in the office reminded her of Del Boy Trotter

with some dodgy deal in her negotiations with those who dare face up to her and disagree with her calculations, like her arch enemies who had to deal with

appeals against the demands for money to be repaid. On the one hand, they were the convenient oracle who must be followed as if Holy Writ as to how things

should be done as if she was on a perpetual hotline to God. Funny that they never committed any of these words of wisdom to paper. On the other hand they

were the cowardly lily livered people who 'namby pambied' the lying fraudulent claimants the other side of the barricades. Her attitude was a curious mixture

of barely repressed aggression, a salesman unloading a doubtful deal and sheer talking power. Eventually to Helen's great relief, the conversation ground

to a halt though not before Helen had gone to take a couple of extra strength Nurofin, the only thing to touch the stinking headaches she kept getting.

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"Phew" Mark Waddle said holding his hand to his aching ear, for he was the unfortunate soul who had been browbeaten into surrender by the stream of verbal

diarrhoea.

"I take it that was Bodybag on the phone," Karen, the other appeals officer said smiling sympathetically. "I could pick out her voice from where I was sitting.

What load of bollocks was she telling you now."

Mark shook his head to clear his thinking, a bad move as it only made his headache worse. Karen could see that he needed a couple of double strength painkillers

and fast. What in hell was he to do? He had to write a long legal document to go before a tribunal. He'd studied the lawbooks and the figurework was all

wrong when he had to compare it with the lawbook. He'd been so certain that he was right only to be greeted by that damned voice that had started insinuating

itself into some of his nastier dreams that made him glad to wake up sweating. Karen had slept on undisturbed and too often, Mark had to potter downstairs

to clear his mind before trying to grab some sleep of what was left of the night. With the constant stream of words, his verbal reasoning powers had gone

to pieces even though at the back of his mind, he knew she was wrong.

"My idea of hell," Mark groaned "Is to look at a decision and see Bodybag's initials on the calculations and Fenner's on the decision. It means that that

lazy arse Fenner who's too busy in and out of Stubberfield's room will pass me on to Bodybag. She's the sort who have never been wrong no matter how wrong

she is but she'll just talk and talk till she gets what she want."

"Don't let it get to you." Karen came round to his side of the desk, all warmth and sympathy and stroked the top of his bowed head. "You'll make yourself

ill."

"And if that isn't bad enough, the papers I've done based on one of Fenner's dodgy decision I have to present up before Mrs Grenville as Chairman who takes

me straight back to junior school, one of those dragon teachers who picks me up on my shirt hanging out, one of those legal savages who make Rowan Atkinson

look like an unreconstructed hippie."

Karen's heart went out to him. Though tough enough when need be, these two people managed to hit his blind spot every time and unnerve him. In facing anyone

else, he could stand his ground. They needed to call at the local off licence and buy a bottle of spirits on a Friday night and chill out. It was a hard

week and often, things look different on a Monday.

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Nikki and Helen were acutely conscious when Bodybag, Maxi and Fenner all cleared off on the dot at 4pm, a little instance of the normally accepted obsessive

compulsive personality traits of people working there. It was the nature of that type of office work and difficult to keep clear of. They watched the gang

as they made their way out of the office and the atmosphere immediately lightened. They didn't have to watch each word they said and could relax properly,

especially being Friday afternoon.

Nikki immediately asked Helen how she had gone on with Fenner and she was a mixture of deep sympathy with the apology Helen had been forced to make to Fenner

and delight with Helen that she turned the situation to her advantage and admiration that she had been so restrained in front of Bodybag. She was only

too aware and grateful for the way Helen had consistently gone out on a limb for her and was genuinely afraid for Helen when she had had the summons for

the interview. In her experience of office work, most people kept their distance from anyone headed for trouble, not being their business, but Helen was

unique. In contrast to the coldness and bad vibrations from the Fenner gang, call it that, she was always conscious of the warmth and good feeling coming

from Helen.

"How do you manage to keep your cool with such an evil cow. She wants to make me want to hit back at her."

"Which is exactly the way she wants you to react. If she thinks she's got under your skin in one way or another, she gets off on that. It took me a lot

of time and a lot of pain to figure that out." This pain was mirrored in Helen's face and so forcibly struck her that she felt Helen's pain for her. This

was visible in Nikki's face and the expression in her eyes and Helen couldn't help but notice it.

"You mean it about going out for a drink." Nikki asked.

"There's that pub with the tables outside I'd mentioned. 1 o clock all right with you." Helen smiled without a trace of reservation. "Come on, Nikki, what

are we doing hanging round here. It's poets day, piss off early, tomorrow's Saturday."

And they left the grey anonymity of the office behind them, if only for a weekend.

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Early morning sunshine stole its way through the curtains of Nikki's bedroom to wake her unexpectedly early on a Saturday morning. She woke up with a sudden

feeling of excitement and then said to herself, no she is not going on a first date, just to meet Helen outside work. She still had a pleasant feeling

inside her in contrast to the "death warmed up" feeling late into the Saturday morning if not early afternoon as a reaction from a hard week's grind and

precious little outside it. She still had a sort through her wardrobe for a "casual but smart" outfit instead of slinging on the first thing that came

to mind. It was as if she'd been travelling through a sunless colourless tunnel and had suddenly come out into the fresh open air and wide spaces.

She lay back in a comfy armchair, taking in the warm feeling of a "first thing in the morning" cup of coffee, threw open the curtains and let the sunshine

in to her life.

Helen likewise was up early and a bit of her wondered what to wear till she told herself what on earth she was on about and her good old "standby" outfit

selected itself. She had had a recent spell of staying in and not as much company as she liked or what she was used to. She wasn't thinking too much on

what the day would bring forth. She would 'go with the flow' and figured out that an 'off work' Nikki wouldn't be a great deal different from an 'at work'

Nikki seeing that she was one of these women, no people, who was their own person. Others in the office she imagined 'put on' their work persona in the

same way that they 'put on' their work clothes and were unimaginable without them, still more, say an 'off work' Fenner, filled her with horror and repulsion.

She was at the cafe she suggested when, horror of horrors, her very much ex boyfriend Sean Parr loomed up and, oh shit, he'd spotted her.

"Broken any more engagements recently," Sean said glaring daggers at her. "It must be all of a couple of months since you dumped me. Plenty of time to ditch

some other guy"

Helen's heart sank. he'd been the one to 'take over' as soon as the relationship was anyway serious and after he had proposed, he'd be the one to say every

so often, she could back out if she wasn't ready for commitment. And when she had done just that, he'd been the one to turn nasty and trash their / her

flat as his final parting gift.

"You know it wasn't like that." Helen sighed. "You are just a bad listener and we are just not on the same wavelength, we never were."

"So why did you agree to get engaged in the first place," he asked bitterly. Helen didn't answer. Why indeed? Because it was expected of her that she would

have to 'settle down' and on appearances sake, he seemed to be an eligible bachelor and have everything going for him in her eyes.

"So who've you got a date with? " Sean asked sarcastically.

"Its not a date, a workmate, not that it is any of your business." Helen snapped angrily.

Nikki was coming up the road and she saw this guy giving Helen a lot of hassle and seemed to be the sort of patronising public school guy that raised her

hackles straight away. At the time, she was conscious that, after all Helen had done for her, she ought to repay the compliment and, being outside work,

she could say what the hell she liked, a very satisfying feeling that righteous anger was made for moments like this.

"I don't know your name, but if you are going to act like a spoiled brat, could you do it quieter and away from Helen. Just move it along as you're crowding

my space." Nikki was blazing angry and this was for only starters and a very discomforted Sean finding himself caught between two fires beat a hasty if

sulky retreat.

Helen was speechless with admiration that Nikki had seemed to come from nowhere and that the first verbal punch had sent Sean on the run. A new Nikki was

before her eyes, who was much more sure of herself with the light of battle in her eyes. She looked glowing, alive with a half smile on her face.

Starting with Nikki's insistence that 'they talk about nothing related to work, there's time enough for this Monday to Friday', Helen emphatically agreed.

Over a couple of drinks, Nikki was the perfect host and conversationalist. It was very paradoxical that since their little performance awhile back, Helen

thought of Nikki as just another straight woman despite the tag that Bodybag was trying to hang round her head as 'Nikki's girlfriend'. It was just the

simple fact that only when Nikki came did she have any kind of ally against the rest of the gang that gave her a hard time. She was freely willing to admit

that Nikki was one of the few people around that she could have a straight uncomplicated relationship, know where she was and that here was, at last, intelligent

company.

"In case you wondered, that, Nikki was my very much ex, Sean Parr who is as manipulative and control freak as....as...as Bodybag." Helen finished making

the instant, illuminating, till then unsuspected mind jumps.

"They come in all shapes and sizes, Helen." Nikki nodded sympathetically. "You have to stay away from them, they're bad for your head."

And at that point Helen knew they were both feeling the same thought.

"Come on Helen, my round. Another lager?" and Nikki disappeared off to the bar while Helen relaxed in the sunshine, noticing the flickering shapes of people

passing by and feeling all's right with the world.

They started talking about themselves and Nikki chattered away, saying that she came from a military background which, she smiled at this point, made her

totally the opposite but she had had the chance to go to university but her father said over his dead body would he help finance her through university.

At that point, she had stumbled into the local Job centre about to sign on when some bitch of a woman behind the desk said, why not do a temporary clerical

assistant job as they're setting on, they need some people fast so I thought I'd do it while I'm looking for something else and, a few years later, here

I am, Nikki finished smilingly.

"Hey Nikki, I thought we weren't going to talk about work." grinned Helen.

Nikki graciously admitted breaking her own rule but went on to say that having financial independence meant she could leave home as 'they didn't like my

lifestyle either, if you can see what I mean'.

Helen took a second before the significance of what Nikki said sank in. then they were back to laughing and chattering away. Helen went to get in another

round of drinks and it seemed ages before she caught the eye of the barman and got served. As she was on her way back, she couldn't believe her eyes as

a full scale drama had broken out. Helen stood rooted to the spot.

"I've been trying to get my life back together and you have to turn up now." Nikki said bitterly though tears were running down her face. "So what happened

to the Trish and Lucy are forever, oh yeah, except Nikki's stuffed?"

"Don't be like that, Nikki," was the distraught reply from the fair haired woman . " I thought we could still be friends after......"

"You mean after I come down to the club after work and find you snogging Lucy. You know Miss Innocent, who's been hanging round, wouldn't think she'd go

behind anyone's back and then........" and Nikki stopped at this point her mind refusing to let her relive that moment she'd walked into the club and seen

what she'd seen. She'd tried to bury all that by flinging herself into her work but a year or so of that hadn't worked in that one split second when finishing

off the last of her drink, she heard her name called out by THAT voice.

Helen was rooted to the spot, unsure what to do or say as it was a 'private' matter between Trish and Nikki, or as private as it ever could be out in an

outside cafe. She did not know what to think as it was only now that she realised Nikki was gay, totally ridiculous though it seemed on the face of it

and couldn't work out what to feel on that one. The practical matter was that it was not in her nature to say nothing, do nothing for ever though she let

the argument run for awhile.

"Trish, you're not being fair........" started Helen, not feeling very confident as she was sticking her oar in on a matter she knew nothing about except

that she couldn't conceive of Nikki being unfair.

"I see, you go on back to your new girlfriend." Trish turned on Helen and ran on down the road.

Again it was not the most private place imaginable and they were getting curious looks from the other people in the cafe but instinctively, Helen threw

her arms round Nikki and held her while Nikki finished crying. All Nikki knew was that she needed to be held just to be comforted more than anything else

in the world.

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It seemed like ages that Helen was holding on to Nikki, her heart going out to her. Nikki had always struck her as so strong, even when she was driven down

by overwork that to see her upset got to Helen. She had to make her better and that was all she knew.

"This is bizarre, Nikki." Helen spoke presently." First half the office think that we're having a relationship, now half the cafe as well when it's all

the best of friends you could get."

Nikki's sense of life's little ironies was deep rooted in her and despite the tears which were beginning to subside, she couldn't help laughing at this.

She knew there was no shred of disapproval in Helen's speech or thoughts but calm acceptance of what was around her and real loyalty. The strength of Helen's

"stand by you" feelings was more than she had had for a long time, certainly more than some of the more fickle girlfriends she'd had in the past. Any woman

who had the bottle to do what she did right in the middle of the cafe for all to see was something rare and true and to hold on to.

Nikki straightened herself up and thanked her from the bottom of her heart for being there. "God I must look a sight with my makeup all running. You hold

onto the drinks and tell any more exs that come around here to go to hell while I go to the loo and straighten my face." and Nikki managed a tentative

smile at her shaky attempt at a joke.

In the moments that Nikki was in the loo, Helen was reflecting that, earlier traumas aside, she was in the middle of a day she wanted not to end and that

soon Nikki would be coming out and the hurt of the last two unwelcome guests would be mended. She saw the stares of onlookers who were still looking in

wonderment but she had one over them, they were bystanders divorced from life. They held no terrors for who she was and the thought crossed her mind, that

for someone who really was a lesbian, you would have to contend with this or travel through life in disguise.

"I'm so sorry for my not so welcome ex partner spoiling what I really wanted to be a good day for us both." Nikki said politely but Helen waved that away

with a reminder of the disturbance kicked by her even less welcome ex fiancee.

"To friendship" Helen had raised her glass in a toast glancing round at the audience and smiling as Nikki with a warm smile lifted hers to clink glasses

together.

"Do you fancy somewhere to eat somewhere next Nikki. I'm starving."

"Couldn't be better, Helen, so long as there aren't any other bloody ex partners around. If we see either of them making the place untidy, do you want to

throw them out into the street or do you want to leave it to me? "finished Nikki with a broad grin. She was going to have a bloody good rest of the day

with Helen and to hell with Trisha....and Sean Parr.

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Helen was laying flat on her back on the living room carpet back at her flat with the ceiling and light suspended down towards her revolving gently round

in circles. Next to her was a half filled glass of wine. Nikki was sprawled out on the sofa with her glass in easy reach while the world was now dark outside

but inside was a feeling of delicious relaxation.

After a meal at the Pizzahut, both of them had been giggling at their indecision as to what they were going to eat, it was the case of 'take us to the next

bar' where the wine flowed freely. In reaction to the sudden upsets earlier in the day, the conversation had travelled down a long sunny country lane of

sparkling wit broken up by 'who's going to order the next bottle.'

"Christ, I'm pissed, Helen," Nikki said as she swerved back to the table with another bottle of wine. "How in hell can you sound pretty sober even though

you've put away more than I have."

"Comes of plenty of practice." Helen grinned broadly.

Nikki had thought, how in hell could a Minister's daughter manage that from a background that hardly encouraged that sort of thing.

The conversation rambled along when Helen suggested they go back to her place. Why not, said Nikki though she suggested they get a taxi as working out directions

and looking at road signs that don't make sense doesn't seem to be a good deal.

Still clutching a half empty bottle, Helen led the way into the sudden sharp sunlight and by sheer luck got to the taxi rank. As they hailed the taxi that

pulled up, from the corner of Nikki's eye, she saw the scowling face of Maxi staring at them and she sort of fell into the taxi with Helen lying half on

top of her. Helen had the presence of mind to remember her address. When they got to the front door, Helen found the front door key seemed to be all the

wrong shape till the door suddenly flew open . A welcoming floor and sofa provided a handy place from which they couldn't fall and they could let the world

revolve slowly away from them with no disturbance

"Christ it can't be this late." Nikki said when she suddenly woke up with a crick in her neck from the way she'd been lying on the sofa. "I ought to be

going, I can't impose on you." Nikki said thinking along straight lines that she had planned on going out for the day with Helen and now it was the end

of the day so she should go home.

"Why not crash out for the night here? " Helen's sleepy voice replied.

Nikki asked if she was sure. From her experience, it was novel for a straight woman to ask to go out on the piss with her, still more to ask her to stop

over at her place and she was starting to wonder what she was letting herself in for, or Helen for that matter.

"I mean, it's dark, you're still half drunk.....more than that, this has been the best day of my life today and I don't want it to end. If you've gotta

be elsewhere for any reason, OK but this has been the first proper human contact for so long and I'd like you to stay."

Helen went on to explain that when she went out with Sean, she thought they'd had other couples like Ted and Alice and Bob and Sue, etc etc but when they

split up, he stole their friends from her as well. To the crowd, he painted her as the bitch and he was the wronged nice guy even though that was a total

distortion of the facts. He was that kind of guy, Helen finished bitterly.

"That's a lousy deal, Helen." Nikki said sympathetically. "I'm glad I had a good go at him when I had the chance."

Helen grinned at that one, as she remembered Sean for the first time slink away with all the stuffing knocked out of him. She always had had problems coping

with him when he was patronising or aggressive. It took her a little later on to remember the real look of tenderness in Nikki's eye in her sympathy for

her.

Later on Helen was settled to bed and the flat seemed more human than it had for ages. It was quiet with little traffic noise outside but not the quiet

of loneliness that she had known. It was the quiet of a perfect end of the day feeling. Nikki didn't have to say anything, or even be visible in the front

room. Helen was acutely aware of her presence and the knowledge that she was there in the flat.

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Walking through the door to the office felt, to Helen, like a bucketful of cold water being thrown over her when the concentrated malevolence of the looks

from Fenner, Bodybag and Maxi were directed at her. After the warm feelings of the total openness from Nikki and a magic weekend of her company, it was

being thrown back in the snake pit. She wondered why Bodybag and Fenner glared daggers at her so much and she realised, oh yes, she had had a run in with

Fenner over Nikki and spoiled Bodybag's best ploys to get at her. That seems such a long time ago, was it the end of last week when so much had happened

to her.

"Enjoyed yourself with your girlfriend, Helen." sneered Maxi. Of course she and Nikki had drunkenly jumped the queue and swiped her taxi. Jesus Christ,

they keep rubbing the whole thing in day after day and being so stupid with it. What are they asking us to do, to really be girlfriends. Best not rise

to it, that's what they're expecting.

"Did you have a good ride home in your taxi, Maxi" Helen replied with a mocking half smile.

"Yeah, I did, Stewart. And I suppose you'll give us a blow by blow account of what you did next." Maxi was in full glare mode.

"What's the point, you'll all obviously have had a good gossip, you know already, why should you ask me for the truth. And if you'll excuse me, I'm busy."

And with that, Helen made a fast run for cover behind her computer with sounds of muttering behind her.

Why do I have to put up the mental barricades at a place like this, thought Helen to herself. I've got to keep one jump ahead of these bastards and it's

such an energy drain and so unnecessary. And at that moment, she recalled only on Sunday, getting up and seeing Nikki still asleep on the sofa and thinking

how peaceful and beautiful she looked. Those big brown eyes she remembered looking into the other day as they chattered to each other as they drank was

something she could see before her eyes. Ah well, here's the latest work and it all looks pretty complicated, total mind blowers every one.

Helen's attention was on her work so she heard half the conversation when, on the rare moment Dominic came from behind his wall of work to approach Maxi

with query about a piece of her work. Everything in his body language had expressed nervousness and fear and not wanting to upset anyone. He had a few

words with her but Maxi, with a killer look, sent him away with a cock and bull yarn that was designed to bluster and intimidate.

"Maxi's right," chimed in Bodybag so predictably, it was someone else's business so she had to get involved. "We were talking about it only the other week

and the way overpayments assess it out is the way Maxi explained. You need to be a bit more awake. Just sign it off and send it on its way. Why shouldn't

that fraudster pay the money back anyway?"

Beaten, Dominic went back behind his wall of work, his one attempt to stand up for himself beaten back.

Helen was filled with anger inside but couldn't say anything. Those bastards are going to drive him down forever the way they are going. I might have said

something if I was sure of my facts but I couldn't.

Presently Nikki came through the door and she sensed immediately the bad vibrations coming at her from one side and the sympathy and good feeling from the

other.

"How's your girlfriend, Wade" snarled Maxi.

"What's the matter, Maxi. Are you jealous?" Nikki coolly replied. As Maxi spluttered in reaction Nikki said as if to no one in particular that it is a scientific

fact that the worst homophobes are the ones who are secretly gay and won't admit it. She hung up her coat on the hook and exchanged a grin with Helen in

passing.

There was a visible stir round the office as they struggled to come to terms with a new Nikki who was better able to fight back than she had been. Who was,

of course, no surprise to Helen, who was far more aware of the depth to her than the surface impression she had given off till then.

A bit later when Bodybag was busy slagging off the payment sections that provided them with the work, Nikki used her knowledge to explain the whys and wherefores

and to dare break ranks with the 'accepted wisdom' of Bodybag who knew everything.

"Look, it's no use just droning on forever. I know you want the last word but there is nothing in what you are saying that is going to make me agree with

you. And no way are you going to wind me up and get at me that way."

"That's enough, Wade" Fenner at last chipped in.

Just then, Stubberfield came round on his tour of inspection.

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Nikki looked at the guy with contempt. It wasn't often he came out of his room, it being far more often that Fenner disappeared to chat to him in his office.

Everything about him spelt vanity, complacency, narrow mindedness and, worst of all having his favourites and a total lack of justice. He didn't want to

hear unwelcome news, only what he wanted to hear. Early on, he had graced her with his favour and asked if she was happy in her work. Her reply was 'only

if I were cloned' in a moment of rebellion at a time when she was under pressure and Bodybag was getting to her. He looked bemused, not understanding or

wanting to understand and not seeing the pile of uncleared work which any idiot could see. She wasn't Miss Popular in his eyes though she was perfectly

able to get on with an average bunch of people, male or female. Her contempt deepened when she saw the way Bodybag was gushing away to him when she had

now been around there long enough to realise what bollocks she was talking and specifically designed to ram home the unsubtle message that without her,

the office would collapse and the many times she had, in her time as an 'old stager' saved the Department time and time again. She saw that Helen's smile

which would make anyone feel welcome and at ease didn't get the reaction it should. When Maxi spoke in such a phoney way how 'concerned she was about Dominic'

as if she really cared about him, she was roused to fury. Total lying hypocrisy and creeping got to her that way. Does that fat pillock over there in his

opinionated suit really know what is going on around him? Is he on the right planet, she asked herself. And as for Fenner, the 'cosy cosy' relationship

that she overheard between the two of them spelt blatant arse licking. At that point she abruptly went to go to the loo, the one place no bastard could

watch her. Going for a short walk made her feel better anyway.

As she came back into the room, Helen's appealing look of concern for her levelled her off and took the edge off her anger. Helen knew instinctively how

she felt and understood everything and the look said that bottled up anger wouldn't solve anything and do her any good. Needless to say, the Fenner gang

were deep into some mindless conversation about Coronation Street, what would they do if they won the National Lottery and never noticed a thing.

Back at her desk, she wondered with her violent antipathy to Fenner and Stubberfield whether there was anything in the 'man hater' tag that more vicious

enemies had tried to hang round her neck in her life. No, she rejected it because she hated Bodybag's and Maxi's guts as much as anything and she thought

she would like Dominic well enough if she could see more of the person that was stuck deep down at the bottom of a hole. Then again, Trisha wasn't exactly

her favourite company right now. No her sympathies, likes and dislikes ran right across the spectrum as did her principles. When she fell in love, it happened

to be with a woman, not a man, that's all.

Hearing Bodybag drone on about being in military intelligence for the umpteenth time made Nikki go into terminal boredom mode after the sparkling conversations

she had had with Helen. Waking up on the Sunday morning on Helen's settee, she felt so at home in the flat and with herself and had seen Helen watching

almost protectively over her first thing when she opened her eyes. They chatted more soberly in the morning, Helen saying that the flat felt too big for

her while Nikki bemoaned her poky dump of a place whose advantage was that it was cheap. It was at the back of Nikki's thoughts to suggest why didn't they

share a flat, for practical reasons of course but she was held back thinking they were going to have such contrasting lifestyles, Helen bring back boyfriends

as opposed to Nikki bringing back girlfriends even though she was on her own at present. Presently, they got talking about themselves and Nikki spoke passionately

about having people around her that she can trust, Helen right now being top of the list at which Helen smiled graciously. They teetered their way in avoiding

contrasting it with the human snakepit they worked in as why should they even talk about those people on a quiet relaxed Sunday. Nikki's values were pretty

close to Helen's except that Helen had learnt to grow a thicker protective skin between herself and the world at its worst. Presently, Nikki made her exit

thinking she ought to give Helen a bit of space for the rest of the day and, on getting back to her own place, it suddenly seemed far too empty and quiet

for her liking.

She had to cut loose from that chain of thought to slog her way through the fiendishly hard work and totter home, brain dead, to flop down in a chair and

stick the TV on to watch some mindless crap.

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Fenner took himself the familiar route to Stubberfield's office. He had 'signed blind' a load of decisions in the morning. They had all come from Bodybag

and he knew that they would be bound to be right. That plonker Dominic was checking every crossed 't' and dotted eye. He was good for taking Wade's work

which suited him fine and it was piling up on his desk. Stupid mug that he was for taking on work from inexperienced staff. The set up suited him just

fine and he Maxi and Bodybag had the place sewn up tight. He couldn't be not aware that that Wade and Stewart were becoming thick as thieves and becoming

a cosy twosome. Maxi was spreading it about that they were both bloody gay. OK Wade has made no secret of that from the word go when he first saw the cheeky

bitch and he was just giving her a bit of friendly advice. Stewart used to have a boyfriend and she's a tasty piece even if she gave him the brush off.

Said she had a jealous boyfriend who's into muscle building and is apt to pull the head off anyone who's messing around with his bird. That made me think

twice. Didn't want to come into work with fist marks all over him as that would take some explaining away.

"Ah Jim." and Stubberfield waved him into an empty chair and they discussed the state of work. He's got the statistics of the work which were 'seasonally

adjusted' by him specially to cover his back. On paper, everything in the garden looked rosy. In the Department, statistics are everything and inform everything

that goes on even if they were as castles built on sand.

"Everything all right on the section," Stubberfield asked.

"Couldn't be smoother. Just the way I like it. Everybody's happy with the way the work is and everyone's fitting nicely into the team except that........"

Fenner, like the actor he was, played the 'pause' for what it was worth.

Stubberfield rose to the bait as he predicted.

"It's just that Nikki Wade is getting to have a bit of an attitude problem. Nothing I can't handle," he said self deprecatingly.

"What's the problem, Jim." Stubberfield asked.

"Well, it's just that she started to be off hand when Sylvia was giving her all in helping her train her up. It's just as if she can't take helpful constructive

criticism and gets all defensive. Not that it's a major problem but I thought you ought to hear it as you like being kept in touch with things."

"I'll leave it in your capable hands to handle. Miss Wade ought to know that there are things like annual reports to consider. Now what time do you want

to meet up for a sporting game of golf.....with a spell at the nineteenth hole of course." Stubberfield smiled.

"That will do fine," Fenner smiled, secure and smug in his position and status.

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"Nikki." asked Helen. "Can you give me a hand with this one. I can't see what was paid on this one. I can't make sense of the computer."

"You do it the way I always do it, you always go by system 503. That's the way we always work here." shot out Bodybag without waiting for Nikki to reply.

She sensed that Nikki was setting out to challenge her rivalry as to who was going to be 'top dog' around here as she had been recently on systems payments

while Bodybag's experience was years old and Nikki was starting to come out stronger. Bodybag's appetite for power and control pushed her all the time

to need to be centre stage.

Nikki for her part was aware of Bodybag out of the corner of her eye but studiously set out to keep control over her thoughts. She always got pissed off

at instant experts and if there was a problem, her thought was to take herself over to the problem. She went over to Helen's desk and ran through the dialogues

for Helen, only too pleased to return the favours from the past and, sure enough, identified where the discrepancy was. Bodybag was an annoying distraction

and any idea of a power trip was alien to Nikki.

"She's only been here a few months and wants to take over the place," grumbled Maxi to Bodybag. Of course, they blithely ignored the fact that Nikki was

only wanting to be treated as equals with them. Vain and hypersensitive as they were to slights as to their self esteem, they were totally insensitive

to other people's feelings.

"You can't keep those two lesby pals apart," Bodybag venomously replied. "Next thing they'll be cuddling up behind the computer."

Maxi was talking away to Bodybag and she was saying that she couldn't pop over to see her in the morning as she had to go to Sunday service, Harvest Festival,

you know what I mean and Bodybag said she understood, she'll come later on that day. They were oblivious to the looks of stunned amazement followed by

choking sounds coming from Nikki and Helen as this astonishing insight into Maxi's character dawned on them.

"Excuse me, Dom, I've got to go to the toilet" was the nearest lame excuse Helen could think of as she shot off still choking and lamer still was Nikki's

addition that she had to help Helen as she went after her. The fact that they had to run somewhere fast to collapse in hysterical laughter was too simple

an explanation for the others and instead, they tut tutted behind their back for leaving the phones and, you never know what they were getting up to in

the women's loos.

Instead Helen was sat on the toilet seat, collapsed in hysterical laughter at the absurdity of Maxi being religious. Nikki, squashed down into the narrow

space left, was trying to put "Maxi" "religious" and "vicious" together in her mind and, totally failing to connect, broke up in similar hysterics. Perhaps

this was a release from all the pressures they'd both been under for months. Whatever the reason, instinctively they knew they needed this moment to preserve

their sanity.

"Maybe, Maxi's shagging the vicar........"

"Or Stubberfield's got a bit of religion on the side and she's creeping up to him." and the conversation got madder and more surrealistic between bursts

of laughter . Nikki replied that she didn't pay too much attention to the scriptures in school what with the bit where God says where man and women are

put together, etc, etc, she really lost interest.

"Nikki," Helen playfully pushed her. "Come on we'd better get back for Dom's sake, or he'll be in trouble. Think you can manage it with a straight face,

Nik?"

"No more than you can but we gotta go."

And the smirks on their faces when Helen and Nikki returned after a suspiciously long time in the loo, betrayed to the right thinking Maxi and Bodybag,

there was nothing those two notorious lesbians wouldn't get up to, whenever or wherever. That added much to the early morning gossiping sessions for the

next few weeks with which they always started the day when they really enjoyed indulging in their feelings of moral outrage.

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"There's something I don't understand." Karen spoke thoughtfully after stubbing the 'first thing in the morning' cigarette out in her ashtray. By evening

time that would be full to overflowing depending on what sort of a day she had. She was talking, as if half to herself, across the paper strewn desk to

Mark the other side. "I've been looking at the overpayment appeals I've turned over in the last few months. Beside the usual there's some pattern...."

"Yes, I know it," Mark's contemptuous grin said it expressively. "It's that deadly combination of Fenner and Bodybag. Face me with that and I think, where's

the screw up and if I can't find it, I've not looked hard enough."

Karen's wince as if she'd bitten into something painful answered to say that was true but passing on, she said.

"It goes right across the board, Mark. Maxi turns out crap, and her stuff like Bodybag is easy stuff. I have a lot of time for Helen's work, it's calculated

very accurately but now and again, there's some basic flaw that comes out as if no one has really explained the basics of the law properly. The strange

thing is that all the calculations tend to be the harder ones. I've seen Nikki's work and the same pattern starting to emerge. Don't know what to make

of it." Karen's voice trailed off as she was lost in thought.

"What are we going to do about it, Karen." Mark said, getting to the point, reaching for his form of addiction, the regular caffeine fix. "All right, don't

have to look at me accusingly. You won't have to drag me off the ceiling. Real men can take their coffee," he said grinning at his own joke........"but

you, Karen Betts are going to end up with an artificial lung or two.....ouch", he finished as Karen kicked him from under the table.

Karen was grinning at their usual cross the table banter but on a more serious note replied thoughtfully.

"If I quote the lawbook, it will sound double dutch to them with the best will in the world. I'll quote this chunk from the Decision Maker's Guide, a bit

more friendly, point them in the right direction and address it to Helen and put my extension number on it. She can phone me or come upstairs if she wants

to know more."

And Karen tapped away on the computer, packaged up all the papers to wend their way three floors down.

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"Nikki" whispered Helen while Fenner, Maxi and Bodybag were busy gossiping. " I've had this minute from appeals where she is talking about a Decision Maker's

Guide .What in hell is one?"

Nikki shrugged her shoulders at Helen's perplexed face thinking, this is surreal, it's the wrong way round, I should be asking her the questions even now.

"I don't get it. With all the time you've been here............no don't get me the wrong way," seeing Helen's brief flash of anger. "You know that even

after this time, I'd go to you for help. The point is, why now after all the time you've been around are we told about something we should know about but

don't. Think about it, Helen. Who's holding out on us?"

Nikki's questioning expression floored Helen. How do you get to know about something we should have been told but haven't.

"Don't ask Fenner or any of that crowd," Nikki said in a low voice. "Wait for them to clear off for the night and perhaps we ought to do some nosing around."

The clock seemed to go on a go slow till the magic hour of 4 arrived and they trooped off, naturally without a 'good night' in their direction as befitting

the state of undeclared war.

Immediately, Helen and Nikki started to comb their way through the office, through all the bookcases, cupboards full of work to be done and through all

the more obscure hidey holes but not a trace.

"Do we go through their drawers" Nikki asked, the meaning of 'their' being abundantly clear. They felt like espionage agents on a secret mission but instead

of some far fetched unreal James Bond movie, this was their little adventure. In any case, Nikki had always switched off when James Bond came up on TV

unable to stomach the unreality of it all, even in spite of some of the female cast.

"Got it," Helen said with satisfaction pulling it discreetly from the depths of Bodybag's drawer. "Jesus Christ, it's as old as the hills. Look at the front,

there's a years worth of amendments still wrapped up in polythene. The stupid bitch has sat on this all the time and we could have learnt from this. Bet

you, she's kept it back so she can make up the rules as she goes along, oh yes she's got a hotline to God."

Helen was shaking with anger and red in the face at finding this, Because the fat vicious conniving bitch didn't understand it, no one else should know

about it and be 'one up on her'. She had a sneaking suspicion that while she was confident in what she was doing, she was wrong in her approach and the

question is, how wrong was she?. There was every possibility that she had to relearn parts of her job to do it right and that Nikki was in the same boat.

The next thought was, if only a handful of her calculations were found to be wrong and the rest passed through, how often was the Department asking for

the wrong amount to be paid back? Her mind was whizzing at what she may have to do the next day to put it right but no one was around so that she can take

it further even if she could find someone to trust.

Nikki was looking at Helen with real concern. She hadn't seen Helen wound up so much and she was starting to make the same mental connections. I don't want

to think of the fact that Bodybag was persecuting me for ages and the bitch might be wrong. Leave that to tomorrow.

"Do you want to come back to my place tonight, Helen? You look really shaken up. Only don't talk about work, leave it to the morning."

Helen nodded at that, That was the only logical thing to do. Even at that moment, Helen was conscious of the look of concern in Nikki's eyes and the touch

of her hand on her arm.

They got out of the office as soon as they could. There were better places to be.

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Helen was shaky in her driving, just scraping past a car when turning right across its path ignoring the hooting horn. Helen was making a fearful sounds

with the gears as she slowed down or accelerated. Nikki was scared as she'd not seen Helen as shaken up as she was but she kept quiet. With great relief

to both, Helen pulled up to a halt in the terraced street that some part of her mind remembered when the roles were reversed and she was taking a grossly

overworked Nikki home. Helen slumped back in her seat, her head against the backseat. Nikki waited patiently for Helen to pull herself together.

"Welcome to my dump. The sort of place 'Changing Rooms' would give up as a bad job." Nikki said jokingly.

Pushing through the solid Victorian front door, they came into the front room with a small two seater settee which Helen flopped into and lay flat out on.

Nikki disappeared into the kitchen returning with two coffee mugs one of which Helen gratefully accepted while Nikki took the narrow armchair.

"I don't know what came over me like that, Nikki. I just seemed to freak out when you told me that..........I just flashed back to when I started this job

and had Bodybag sending me round in circles till I found out what she was like....Now I know what she'd been keeping back I just saw red....."

Nikki waited patiently for Helen to get it out of her system. It seemed to her that Helen had appeared to be the strong one but had been under pressure

for a long time till it only took something like this to blow a fuse.

"You'd better take it easy, darling. You lie right there while I knock up a meal for the two of us."

Helen could see the look of concern on Nikki's face and the tone of her soft cultured voice wrapped itself around her. She could take it easy and she slipped

into a half awake half dream state looking up into the soft light coming down on her.

Presently, Nikki emerged with a slap up meal and a bottle of wine which filled the gap for both of them and gave them more of a feeling of contentment with

themselves and the world. They stuck the TV on and there was a series featuring a women's prison that they felt they could both relate to and seemed to

speak for their lives. The anger of the female inmates with the bullying middle aged female warder was their anger, it went past mere identification. They

admired the heroism of the female lead characters who spoke for their lives and dreams.

Right at the end, Helen was yawning her head off. "I'll have to get some sleep, Nikki. where do I sleep?"

Nikki betrayed some embarrassment as the flat was designed for one. The front room was squashed in with a wardrobe, chest of drawers. The settee and chair

were too uncomfortable as Nikki pointed out stumbling for words. The door to the bedroom was open and so Helen said casually.

"Guess I'll have to share your bed, won't I?" This pulled Nikki out of the dilemma that she had wanted to suggest without suggesting. She started to stammer

that Helen would be safe sharing a bed with her when Helen with a reassuring smile said the magic words 'I know, Nikki'.

The glow from the bedside light in Nikki's room cast a gentle glow over the scene and to Helen, Nikki looked different with her ruffled hair and to Nikki,

Helen's relaxed manner in the last place she ever expected her to be made her wonder if she was in a golden dream that she might wake up from except this

seemed as real as she ever expected anything to be. This was a million miles away from their official exteriors and was a letting down of the barriers.

Last time when they were at Helen's flat, they had separate rooms and it seemed a whole different deal to them.

"Hey, I thought you wanted to sleep." Nikki joked as she lay on her back while the stressed out Helen seemed to come back to life.

"While I was lying on the settee crashed out on the sofa, I was thinking back of everything that had happened since I first met you and I've never had more

fun with you than anyone else, Nikki . Whatever's happened in my life recently, there you've been around me, there are so many images in front of my eyes.

" Helen smiled a whole souled smile of someone totally dreamily relaxed as she propped herself on her elbow and looked down on Nikki. "And there's no one

that's so caring and has such a tender look in your eyes when you've been there for me."

"Well, if you hadn't been there I would have had a major breakdown, Helen. I really don't like to think what could have happened. " Nikki felt a chill inside

her at the thought of that one. "This is so new to me as I've always been the strong one in any relationship. There's so much I've shared with you that

I've never had with anyone before." Helen felt the full tenderness in Nikki's voice when a thought popped into Helen's mind and she laughed.

"It's a new experience for me that according to well informed sources I've ended up being part of the hottest couple since Sappho and whoever."

A look of concern came over Nikki's face and she swore that she would never do anything that would cause her any trouble in Helen's life if she was in any

way upset about this one. Nikki least expected Helen to reach over and kiss her full on the lips which was triggered by Helen's sudden rush of feelings

for typical Nik protectiveness for her.

Nikki did not know what to think. When she first got to know Helen, what was fixed in her mind was that she was relating to a straight woman for a change

in a simple uncomplicated friendship after the recent disastrous relationship with Trisha. Others before that weren't much better. She had grown to utterly

trust in Helen as a rock in contrast to the shifting sands she'd been in amongst past girlfriends, not to mention the vicious whirlpools and riptides of

life at work. She knew that they grew to need each other to keep their heads above water but Nikki knew that they'd be that close anyway. She hadn't questioned

things even with the feeling at the back of her mind that Helen was the one who was forcing the pace in their relationship. It had seemed ironic that for

once in her life, she was being publicly cast as the notorious lesbian when there had been nothing in it or so she had thought.

"You do know what you are doing Helen?" she whispered her fingers lightly resting on Helen. "I'm not exactly been luring you into my bed. I've been nervous

about starting a relationship with a straight woman."

"I promise you'll have nothing to worry about me....ever. I've known what I'm doing and it's simple to me. I love you, Nikki, so you'd better unstraighten

me and give those bastards something to really gossip about. Only thing is I really haven't got a clue what to do next."

The mixture of Helen's humour that they shared, utter sincerity and straightforwardness as she looked Nikki straight in the eye dispersed Nikki's last flickering

reservations as she let nature take over as she reached over to the bedside light to click it off as she felt Helen move next to her.

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Many hours later Nikki was curled up next to Helen playing with a lock of her hair. She looked up at the shape and angles of Helen's face caught in the

lamplight which cast deep shadows in the corners of the bedroom that seemed the centre of their universe.

"I can't believe it, Helen. I'd been going out to the same couple of gay bars in town week after week looking for a lover, that's where I first met Trish,

and for one time in my life I make an effort just to have a friend, I find you and what I'd been really looking for all along. Unbelievable."

"We can still be friends, Nikki." Helen said with that slight smile and a joke that was also as serious as can be.

Nikki nodded stuck for words as it hit her that she'd found both. Then she smiled as she recalled

"For someone who says she hadn't a clue what to do in bed, Miss Stewart you're a fast learner. I can't keep up with you."

"I remember seeing you as the Sleeping Beauty fast asleep on my front room sofa. You looked so beautiful and peaceful...." Helen reminisced, then with a

smile. "Well, sweetheart, you've got some catching up to do with me."

Nikki was dreaming. She was back at hers and Trisha's flat and sitting on the sofa just before going to work and she was aware of Trisha coming up behind

her to give her a delicate kiss on the cheek. She remembered then the feeling of being loved and that while she had her office job to do and Trisha had

the club to run, they were going somewhere in life together. Then her feelings became confused and angry when she relived that moment of shock and horror

in walking through the door and seeing Trisha all over Lucy. She didn't want to remember any more of that horrible night when she'd had a stand up row

in front of everyone in the club and she jerked herself away from the horrible scene and....and....and...she was safe in her own double bed with the quilt

all askew all over her with a smiling Helen handing her a hot cup of coffee.

"Sorry sweetheart. Didn't know how else to wake you. Hey, you look as if you've had a bad dream." Helen said with some concern seeing Nikki's feverish movements

in her sleep and look of confusion on her face after her good morning kiss on Nikki's cheek.

"The worst." Nikki shivered at the thought." Thanks for being you and being here." As Nikki came back into the brightness of her present life and future

to be and bad memories of her past banished away into the dark crevices of her mind.

"We've got work to go to. We've gotta go." Helen called out.

"Oh no," moaned Nikki "not after the best night of my life. I just want to have the day off in bed with you."

"We've got this weekend and the rest of our lives together." Helen said, the impact of the remark hitting Nikki when they were in the car to work. "Come

on. Remember, we've got our role for Bodybag and Maxi as the notorious lesbian couple so we might as well put on a little performance. Just think, if they'd

not gone on so much about it, we might not have ended up together."

The wicked smile on Helen's face and the way it appealed to Nikki's irony loving soul and for the first time in ages gave Nikki something to look forward

to at work. Up till then she'd dismissed the continual verbal jabs just out of earshot with a resigned sigh and can't they not be so childish and let the

whole matter drop especially when they'd been so wide of the mark as she'd thought. The grin on her face became wider when she contemplated the viciously

homophobic Bodybag, with her physical bulk in the unlikely role of sprouting Cupid's wings, complete with bow and arrow and bringing her and Helen together.

Yes, they had to make the most of it as she grabbed her handbag and made her way to the passenger seat of Helen's car.

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Helen was chattering away to Nikki as she drove the car towards work.

"First chance we get when we go in, we go up to see Karen Betts about this Decision Maker's Guide and see just where we've been going wrong. I've a few

thoughts in my mind."

"Oh my Gooooddd," exclaimed Nikki "how do you do it? To switch around from having the best shag in ages last night to talking work....even before we've

got there? I need my first coffee of the day before I can even start to think that way. Talk about Action Woman."

Helen grinned at the friendly banter but reminded Nikki that this was the last chance they could talk openly before they go into a world where all eyes

are on them. She reminded Nikki that they would have their little moment of fun first.

Helen saw the square sided building with rows of glass windows, turned round into the car park finding the one space not taken. Once in the building, they

made their dramatic entrance into the room, knowing very well all eyes would be upon them, walking in arm in arm and, at the precise moment Helen kissed

Nikki on the cheek just before making their way to their desks. The theatrical timing was perfect.

"Dominic," called Nikki to the overworked figure behind a pile of work, "Helen and I are on the way up to Appeals. We'll be back before the switchboard

opens."

Helen grabbed the papers she'd left out only that vast time previously last Friday and they were away upstairs highly conscious of the mounting wave of

shock horror behind them. And Bodybag was speechless as they were coolly and calmly breaking her monopoly of her Hotline to God.

Once out the door, they clattered down the corridor, up the lift and up to the remote reached to the appeals room where Karen and Mark were at their desks

which were covered with papers.

"Sorry to come bursting in on you, Karen but we really wanted to talk to you about that case you put to me." said an out of breath Helen.

"Hey, take a couple of seats," said a relaxed hospitable Karen, automatically offering a waiting cup of coffee to them." We don't find anyone from overpayments

is friendly enough and actually come and talk to us."

"But I thought that Body.....,I mean Sylvia Hollamby, is always in touch with you. She's always going on about what Appeals say about things."

Mark's face twitched as if someone had jabbed a sharp needle into it and when he found his voice he spoke decisively and with passion.

"Oh yeah, she's always in constant touch, like David Attenborough having a stroll through the jungle and has a python wrap its coils round him before choking

him to death. I get that bloody woman come on the phone and try and verbally batter me into submission. You take it from me that if she's spouting on about

us, it is NOT what Karen and I think."

"Now now, Mark, you shouldn't get yourself worked up. Not unless you can make Justifiable Homicide stick with the police and with the Department in accidentally

on purpose pushing her down a very long hard flight of stairs." Karen's equally edgy voice tried to make a joke out of things to Mark as one mention of

Bodybag's name gets the poor bastard worked up and she had had to comfort him more than once when he woke up shouting in the middle of the night from a

Bodybag nightmare.

"You're telling me that the Guide which could be the answer to a lot of your problems is stuck in Bodybag's draw. You have got to be kidding." Karen's raised

eyebrow was noticed by Nikki and, Nikki smiled that they had the same nickname for Bodybag.

Just then, the phone rang which Karen reached for.

"Yes, Jim Fenner. We have Nikki and Helen up her and, no they are not coming down straight away as we have business to discuss with them. Switchboard's

not opened yet and, in any case, for God's sake you can spare your two galley slaves just for once in your life. Yes, I'll phone you when they're on their

way back." Karen slammed the phone down in anger to match the cutting way she spoke on the phone.

"Look here, time isn't on our side but I'll take Helen through the guide briefly and photocopy the bit you need. Mark, you were going to show Nikki the

sort of problems we've been having.

Presently, Mark drew Nikki aside to the stack of appeals they had which was causing them to work long hours. Mark very kindly separated out the overpayment

calculations from a host of appeals and Nikki felt that, for once, she was having a 'behind the scenes' look at what was really going on in their job as

opposed to their corner of it. With mounting anger, she saw what to her were easy peasy calculations that were done by Maxi and Bodybag that had never

come her way or Helen's. A further edge was added to the way that Fenner had clearly overlooked one elementary mistake after another. Vicious bullying

had always got Nikki's back up ever since she was at school but incompetence with it roused her to blind anger. Her easy going cooperative exterior was

the surface under which her strong emotions and loyalties to people and values lay in the depths of her personality .

They did see some of their mistakes and Mark was briefly trying to explain where they had gone wrong, not, as Mark was hasty to point out, that they were

remotely in the same league as Maxi and Bodybag but that time spent through the Guide would have avoided.

"Looks like you two have had all the crap to go through while Maxi and Bodybag have been dumping on you."

"I'll kill them." Nikki answered Mark, her anger boiling over.

"No way Nikki unless you make it look a convincing accident. And in any case, Mark and I will be at the front of the queue before you." Karen's voice rang

out as she'd got the drift of the conversation while showing the Guide to an equally incensed Helen who had seen as clear as daylight where she'd gone

wrong when her training had been loused up in this important area.

Both Nikki and Helen's minds were in a daze. Helen's mind had blown a fuse when she'd found out about the Guide though something at the back of Nikki's

mind was aware that if that hadn't have happened, she and Helen might not have got together. Both of them wanted to get at Fenner and co in the quickest

possible way.

"Look here, if it is of any help, Mark and I have been working our butts off as we've too much bloody work. Before you came up, we'd agreed to say, sod

the targets for the day, we'll do a report for our boss about all this. You can take it that we'll point the bloody finger where it needs pointing and

that lazy arse Stubberfield is in for a shock. We'll put a bomb under him, Maxi, Fenner and Bodybag. You stick around and see the fireworks and then it

will be your turn. If you go in too early, Fenner will only slap you down. Think on it. And if you ever want to pop out for a lunchtime drink, you know

where to find us." Karen finished with a friendly smile.

Just then the phone rang again and Karen picked it up.

"What do you mean about 'the two lovebirds' and yes, we've nearly finished. You want to watch the way you're talking to me, Jim Fenner."

Karen asked politely what Fenner was banging on about and the tone of that remark encouraged Helen to volunteer the fact that they were an item. If getting

together with Nikki was a new experience for her, then dealing with how others saw them was equally new even though they'd had continual sniping about

something that, up till then, hadn't been the case. The whole thing of appearance and reality made Helen's head spin at that point.

"You mean like Karen and I," Mark chipped in, the best thing he could have said from the grateful looks they received. Jesus Christ, someone somewhere actually

approves of them, Nikki thought, which was a new experience for her.

"I'll phone up that idiot Fenner to say you're on the way down. And don't let those bastards get to you in any way." Karen said, her soft tone giving out

all the sympathy that she could. "You two had better get going."


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: All the characters used within this story are the property of Shed Productions. I am using them solely to explore my creative ability.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This piece is dedicated to the real life character I have known who bears a close resemblance to the darker side of Bodybag whom, thank

God, I am no longer working with and showed that real life to me sometimes can be as extreme as drama. I'm not sure how it will take shape.

Office Workers in Hell

By

Richard

Part Two

Nikki pulled Helen aside into a quiet room and shut the door. It was a little used part of the office so she knew they would be safe for a bit.

"Before we go down into the snake pit, Helen, we'd better be clear what we're going to say and not going to say. You had a case from Appeals you needed

to discuss, you wanted to speak direct as you've got a right to and I came along as I heard it was the sort of case I needed to know about. We're being

'outward looking' like we're always told we should be. And God help them if they start banging on about us being gay, got it."

Helen nodded at this in acceptance of this but they'd better stop short of bloodshed and Nikki thought, I didn't mean to use THAT word to describe Helen

but, God bless her, she took that word without a blink of the eye, same as she did months back when Nikki first told her about herself. That woman never

ceases to amaze me. Helen, for her part just accepted it as if it were part of her name, moved on and had a warm feeling of satisfaction that Nikki is

coming over stronger than she was and taking the lead more. There was a steely forcefulness about Nikki that made Helen only too grateful that she had

someone around with that strength and understanding.

Helen's mouth was tight set and she thought that those bastards better look out for the two of us.

They were both still tense and ready for anything when they came to the door to their room and hesitated on the brink of passing through.

"You're late" came Bodybag's barbed accusation.

"Late for what" Nikki replied, mind icy cool like a duellist except her weapons were words.

"Dominic was asking after you," Bodybag came out with "You know you should let your boss know where you are."

The bastards, though Helen. They are looking for every which way to get at us. She fought down a wave of anger, like having treated him like shit for months

they have the nerve to try and use him against us but thought that's what they want you to do so do the opposite. Don't let them wind you up.

"I can't remember saying that. " Dominic said vaguely behind the pile of work.

"Yes you did," Maxi snapped. "You don't know what time of day it is."

"This is getting pathetic. And from a devout Christian like you, Maxi, you ought to treat Dominic better." smirked Nikki.

"Enough of a Christian to be disgusted by you and Helen to flaunt yourself in front of everyone when you came in."

"So when your partner comes in and gives you a peck on the cheek before he goes off to his place, we won't mind, will we Helen? If you had your way we'd

be burnt at the stake or shoved in the gas chamber, with you singing Christian hymns and everything. And now, if everybody's happy, we want to get back

to work, aren't we Helen."

"Sure am, I haven't got any time for these time wasters." Helen broadly smiled.

Maxi started to back away as Nikki's spiky brand of humour was starting to run rings round her.

Fenner had hung back as he knew that Karen had twice given him an earful on the phone but it didn't stop the glares directed at them like X rays.

Bodybag was fuming. She hadn't the ability to let feelings of anger burn thier way out of her system. She hoarded her grudges and could store up every moment

in her life that she felt she had been slighted. She was seething with rage that Nikki and Helen were moving in on her area of expertise which she had

grabbed to herself in her insatiable desire to be top dog. Only if she was up here and everyone else down there could she gain satisfaction in life. She

sensed that Nikki was moving up to be a threat and she didn't like that, it made her feel insecure. If only she had the insight to give a bit to receive

a bit and find common cause with people, she would have been all right but that required generosity of spirit and that was beyond her. so she brooded to

herself and glared at the objects of her dislike who, unfortunately were chattering to themselves.

"Keep smiling at the bastards, Nikki. You aren't allowed to be happy so do the bloody opposite." Helen said.

"I feel really sorry for Dominic." Nikki said. "And worried as he could crack up with those witches and Fenner on his back. If I hadn't you around when

I first started, I could have gone that way"

Helen had a long think to herself. Nikki was right and the shame was nobody notices him and that's not right.

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Helen was tapping away at the computer when she was conscious of Bodybag looming down on her. She kept working away till the last minute till she had the

question shot at her why she was up with appeals as everyone knew she was the one who dealt with them. Helen took in the redness in the face and the pent

up anger and sussed out, this is the delay in time meant to make them feel they were off the hook and then move in.

"Why not, Sylvia" Helen replied with as much of a smile as she could muster. "We were broadening our interests, looking outward like we are always told

to. And Nikki had never been up there before. Karen was very interested and glad someone showed an interest. We had a very productive talk."

"All the same, I don't think Jim Fenner will be very pleased people going behind his back. I wouldn't care to be in your shoes."

The bitch, Helen thought. She is trying for all she is worth to unsettle me. Just look at the way she is overacting. She can't look you straight in the

eye. Mind you she got rattled at my mention of me talking to appeals and my emphasis on 'very'.

"Well you talk to Jim Fenner. Remember I heard the other end of the conversation but you were talking about Dominic earlier on. Just who is my boss?"

Bodybag stomped off obviously angry especially seeing Nikki grinning at her. Round three to us, smiled Helen, adrenaline pulsing through her system.

The day settled down to the usual humdrum day and eventually the Fenner gang made their way out followed soon after by Dominic on an earlier night than

normal. Now they were on their own, Helen went up to Nikki and gave her a big hug.

Neither of them said anything for what seemed a long while. It was about comforting each other and what they needed to get over the adrenaline kickback

of the emotional tumult of the day. If either of them let go, the other might drop. They both felt so utterly drained.

"Helen, do we really have to stay late tonight" Nikki's voice spoke quietly into Helen's ear.

"Well, there's still a lot of crap to work through but....but" Helen started to say.

"But there are better places we can be right now." Nikki finished for her. "Your place or mine?"

At that point Helen's mind blanked out utterly unable to think straight. She wanted to go somewhere with Nikki but it seemed like an enormous effort to

make a tiny decision. At this point, Nikki fractionally more able to think straight decided Helen's mind for her and soon enough they were heading for

Helen's flat.

"Hel, I've been wanting to ask you for ages and ages how come you've started a relationship with me so easily...I mean," Nikki stumbled at this point before

going into total collapse, "I've had affairs with straight women before, not that I'm not sure what to call you, now...."

Helen smiled and put her finger on Nikki's lips as if to let her take over on this point. Helen had worked in an office a few years longer than Nikki and

they were nearly all female. She could not for the life of her recall secretly fancying women. If she thought back, she could remember keeping up this

pleasant guard but finding so many conversations about what happened yesterday in Corrie or Eastenders and wondering how come their minds were so limited,

oh yes, riveting discussions about the National Lottery. She had had boyfriends but none of them were on the same wavelength but she never thought there

was any alternative. There wasn't anyone she had anything she had in common.....till Nikki arrived, Helen said and her eyes went soft at the memory, and

you are the alternative.

"That makes me sound like I'm some sort of substitute," Nikki said with a tiny smile on her face.

Helen went on to playfully push her off the sofa and after they has a brief cushion fight Helen went on to talk about her family. You get brought up by

a Scottish Presbyterian Minister with narrow minded views, you are going to conform and put the mind blinders on or you are going to kick against it and

rebel. That explained how come she could put away the alcohol. Because her father harangued the local congregation about the evils of drink, she thought

she'd better find out what this evil was all about. She learned to work out her own ideas at an early age and she figured out that is why she isn't afraid

of falling in love with Nikki.

A look of recognition crossed Nikki's eyes as she recognised a kindred soul as her father a naval Captain had the exact same rigidities. He used to go on

about a bit of strict discipline would bring the country together and that made her kick against that one. She could remember the bitter inch by inch battles

she had had over girlfriends.

They were talking at a slower leisurely speed as they knew there was all the time in the world to find out about each other's lives.

Unknown to each other, they trod the same path of mental independence. They seemed fated to meet and be with each other, Helen said, that's the best she

could come up with words. That was answer enough for Nikki in her mind.

Was it only recently that they had stumbled into Helen's flat, totally pissed and that they'd drunk a toast to friendship? Nikki had meant it then and,

come to think of it, she still did.

Nikki looked approvingly around at Helen's CD and book collection. That was the first thing she tended to do at anyone's house as it said something about

the person and last time, the room was revolving too much to see clearly. right on top of the stack of CDs was a new Tori Amos CD she'd not seen before.

Smiling, Helen put it on and the purity and taste and passion of the songs was something she could see in Helen. Helen agreed straight away with Nikki

with a meeting of their eyes that everything that has ever impressed you becomes part of your name.

When they went to bed that night, it was the most natural thing in the world now to Helen and the very least there was a warmth they could share in the

evening that could heal the ravages of the day.

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Maxi drove off for work in a bad temper. She had just had an argument with her husband Alan about the new kitchen unit she wanted. She had seen them advertised

on TV in the sales and she really liked the look of them.

"But Maxi," Alan protested." You've only just changed it a few years ago." To his eyes, the present kitchen looked nice enough and he couldn't see anything

wrong. To Maxi, that remark was to be pitied at best, he's a man and wouldn't notice these little things. She scowled and shouted at him while Alan did

his best to 'keep the peace'. She knew she'd get it in the end. Besides he felt vaguely guilty as Maxi was a wonderful cook and always turned out lovely

meals, his parents always said so and he didn't know one end of a kitchen knife from another, as Maxi kept telling him. That's the way their marriage went,

he brought home a bigger wage than she did, he was wonderful at fixing things like plumbing and she organised the house and sorted out the bills. To show

her trust, they had a joint account and only at the back of his mind did he feel that her wage was hers and a chunk of his wages, hers also. Maxi kept

telling him that she's got to look good at work so she needed new outfits at work regularly. All the other women were bound to bitch at her if she had

the same old outfit on, so she said to Alan and he believed it all.

She was still angry as she parked her gleaming new car in one of the spaces near the front door so that the likes of Stewart could perch her scruffy heap

in one barely accessible far corner of the park. Besides, she was one of the virtuous "early comers" so she deserved her space.

"Men are typical, you can't trust them to do the simplest thing" Maxi said, carrying forward her grievances against him into the office, sure that Bodybag

would join in with her.

"I could never depend on Bobby to do the slightest thing. I used to leave him strict instructions but he would never listen to me even if I repeated it.

Everything would go wrong if he had a hand in it." she finished up with a two part chorus of 'men' at which point Fenner studiously kept out of the conversation.

Just as well that he gets on with them and they need a good annual report out of him, they know which side their bread's buttered on so he never got in

the crossfire.

"Jesus, and they're calling us anti men, Helen." Nikki grinned from the other side of the computer. This was something that Nikki could never work out.

If Maxi and her kind bitched about their male partners as much as they did, why the frig did they get married to them, you know marriage wasn't compulsory.

And why did they go out of their way to find the most ineffective men to get married to either assuming that what they said wasn't total bollocks. She

hadn't exactly studied men as a species from close up but felt that there were good and bad in all people. Maxi is an evil cow and, truth to tell, she

felt rather sorry for the guy who blundered into marriage with her though he must have shown a colossal lack of judgement or alternatively, that his head

or his heart didn't do the thinking but something lower down.

This is surreal thought Helen, grinning equally broadly at Nikki. These conversations always used to get to me. Even though she'd had some useless boyfriends,

finishing up with that minor public school smoothie Sean bloody Parr, they took things too far and there came a point where she parted company with them.

"Well you do know what I'd said about homophobic people, Hel." Nikki said, in code, with a wicked grin in Helen's direction. Helen promptly started choking

on the cup of coffee she was drinking at either of two nightmare visions that flashed into her mind. As she apologised and went to the loo for a mug of

water, she smiled back at Nikki's wide grin still on her face.

Nikki for her part was keenly aware of the looks of total bemusement on the faced of Maxi and Bodybag and was positive that they were too stupid to keep

up with their coded conversation or know what they were on about. It crossed Nikki's mind that this was their major weakness and they could have some fun

with them with this, it was a shame she'd not thought of this before.

While Helen was drinking a mug of water to wash down her disarranged tonsils, she looked at herself in the mirror and marvelled what Nikki saw in her. She

went on to contrast the tender lover of the night-time with such a delicate touch in her fingers with the rock like friendship and shared good humour of

the daytime.

"Of course, the two lovebirds are bound to hate men, they've got no place for men in their lives, have they?" Bodybag said with a venomous look in their

direction when Helen had returned.

Nikki sighed. She might have thought she and Helen would get lugged into the discussion when this was the last thing she wanted.

"Sylvia, if you and Maxi want to go bitching on about men, fine but leave Helen and I right out of this one. I really don't like anyone to assume that we

hate men or assume anything about us. We've got work to be doing, for Christ's sake."

The day went on as normal. Helen and Nikki were looking through the work intake with new eyes. it galled them that, now they knew they were being dumped

on, they were having to take on all the shitty work without being able to say anything and knowing just why Bodybag and Maxi had the time to gossip mindlessly

away and they had to sit tight.

Nikki was looking in Dominic's direction and was shocked how tired and stressed out he looked. This was the first time she'd taken a good look at him. They

had hardly exchanged a word all the time she'd been there, just piled in more work into his 'in tray' that she'd done, exchanged the odd word or he'd made

the odd correction of mistakes she'd made. He was a nice enough guy and she and Helen were the only two people he'd exchanged the odd friendly word with.

In contrast, Bodybag and Maxi put the knife in verbally when they did talk to him or pointedly ignored him. Fenner offered occasional words of false friendship

but dumping on him behind his back and running him down to Stubberfield as a 'problem.' In the afternoon, Nikki could see his eyelids droop down and his

concentration faded away. He was in deep trouble and getting more tired, stressed and had no self esteem, as that had been knocked out of him . Nikki felt

guilty as he'd been driven down the same way she was heading once till Helen had taken her under her wing. Neither she, Helen nor anyone else had really

gone out of his or her way to help the guy though she could at least say that she had never treated him the way Maxi and Bodybag so cruelly did. Nikki

walked round behind his bowed shape and took a good look at his desk and was shocked to see piles of work all over the place, in no particular order or

system. Jesus, how could she have never noticed all this, she'd just looked at the bit of his desk she needed to notice and the bit of Dominic she needed

to interact with.

Helen and Nikki waited for time to crawl away till the magic hour of 4pm and then Nikki chose her time to speak to Dominic who was still there.

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"Dominic, Helen and I wanted to have a word with you." Nikki asked politely enough.

She could see Dominic shift his focus from his work to look in her direction but she sensed that he wasn't really looking at her. He was unable to look

anyone in the eye but she had the curious sensation that he wasn't really looking out of himself. He mumbled something in reply that she couldn't really

hear.

"Look, Dom, it's just that we're worried about you. You're looking really stressed and we want to help."

"Don't worry about me, Nikki, I'm all right really. Just got a lot of work to catch up with."

Jesus Christ, who's he trying to kid, thought Nikki as Helen gently tried to tell him that ever since she'd come here, he'd always had a lot of work around.

She could recognise some clutter of papers that she'd passed to him for advice months ago which he'd promised to look at which he'd forgotten about or

had got pushed to the back of the queue.

"It's OK, if I just keep working at it I'll get clear in the end, that's why I stop late." smiled Dominic.

His eyes are dead, thought Nikki in horror. He's being vaguely kind to us just to placate us in case we're going to shout at him and bully him like all

the rest as if we would. This is the first time I've really looked at him properly, his face is a mask of tiredness.

"Dom, you've been struggling on for months and months and I know you've never sat back to look at yourself. You're literally drowning in paperwork and you're

getting dumped on by Fenner."

"Fenner," Dominic said vaguely, his speech a bit slurry not from drink but over tiredness. he always thought Jim Fenner was being kind to him, he takes

all the organisation off him and he's in charge of all the staff. Dom couldn't take the responsibility of all that as it frightens him.

With a mounting feeling of despair Nikki and Helen pleaded at him to get a grip of the situation, that Fenner only does things to help himself, no one else.

As for Maxi and Bodybag, they are vicious bitches that will pick on anyone vulnerable and they make them sick when they do that to him. If he stood up

for himself, then he wouldn't feel so bad about himself and he wouldn't have too much work to do. At the least, let them sort through some of the work

on his desk. He resisted that as he said he'd do it himself when he had time. Which means never, thought Nikki in some frustration, her eyes pleading at

him to listen.

"You've worn yourself out, "pleaded Nikki." you've got to get out off this situation as you'll crack up for sure. You've let yourself get destroyed by all

those bullies. I started to go the same way as you but Helen helped me just in time."

They saw Dominic's attention which they'd manage to grab briefly by sheer force of personality start to fade, His eyes glazed over and he turned his attention

back to his work which he wanted to get back to. Was it the last faint flicker of male vanity or pride in not wanting to admit how bad things are or was

he just too worn out to think properly? She remembered that it took Helen to give her a good talking to to get her out of a similar mess. It was horribly

ironic if it was that flicker of pride that stopped him accepting help when so much pride in himself had been beaten out of him.

Giving up in despair, Helen and Nikki did the same and worked through some complicated work which was easier to do when it was quiet without Bodybag's hated

voice forever in their ears.

Right at the end, when they went to leave, Dominic was still there later than normal. No doubt he was 'making up time' for the 'time lost' in talking to

Helen and Nikki.

"Just remember what we've been telling you, Dom. You can't go on like this forever. And don't get locked in by the security guards for the night."

Dominic looked briefly up to smile vaguely and turn back to his work.

"You are a really amazing woman, Nik, the way you spoke to Dominic came from the heart" Helen told Nikki in bed that night.

"We did our best but I've a horrible feeling he's too far gone. Bastards what they've done to him."

"I know."

"If there is one hatred that I've never been ashamed of, it's my hatred of bullying. When I was little I remember getting into loads of fights in the playground

when any friend of mine got picked on. " Nikki reminisced. "It's only later as I got older I learned to cool things down and try to talk things through

calmly and patiently. And of course I can't go grabbing people by the throat in this job as I'd get the sack. Me being who I am, and you," smiled Nikki

at that point "is quite enough for trouble to find me."

Helen said last thing before they went to sleep that knowing Nikki as she knows her now, she'd be surprised looking back that she hadn't ended up being

with Nikki. Nikki smiled to herself that the little Helen type logical puzzle was buried in her declaration of love.

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"Resigned?" Nikki and Helen's incredulous voices questioned the shock news dropped on them by Fenner. "but he couldn't have."

"We've got a section meeting in ten minutes time" Fenner replied, his face masked of all emotion and not looking overburdened with regret.

Shit, that's screwed everything up, they thought, minds whizzing at top speed to take in the shock news of Dominic's resignation, no notice and above all,

no explanation.

When they dragged their chairs round in a circle, Nikki and Helen looked round at the faces which were curiously expressionless and did not express the

shock that they felt.

"Well, you've heard the news. Stubberfield took the phone call and all I know is that Dominic wants out and wants us to respect his views. Course, we'll

be all sorry to see him go, he will be greatly missed but we have to move forward and reorganise things."

Bodybag broke in to gush forth how all the girls had been trying to help him out. She and Maxi were in first thing when he came in and Dominic used to talk

to them about his problems and they used to try and get him to be more confident. All the girls will greatly miss him.

"Dominic had a confidence problem, sure, but the poor sod was worked to death. If he came in before us, Jim Fenner, and left the same time as us, that means

he was working bloody long hours, way too long. Didn't Stubberfield know of this?" Helen said.

Nikki was about to say that Dominic wasn't exactly best friends with Maxi and Sylvia when Fenner cut her off after the first few words and said that Dominic's

job must be covered one way or another.

Bodybag at her most revoltingly obsequious said that she had ever so much work on but, as the best on the section, she would spend one week pulling in Dominic's

work and one week on her own job and so on. Of course, she can't do decisions on her own calculations so she would have to take Maxi's, Helen's and Nikki's

work. It should be OK as she's trained them all at some time or other.

This is a fucking stitch up, thought Nikki, they've worked this all out before but we haven't got an answer to this one.

"What about getting a replacement for Dominic," asked Helen." This plan is all very well but Dominic has been under the cosh for months. This is a short

term fix but we need another decision maker, and fast."

Fenner spread his hands wide and said that what Helen said was all very well but it would take time to get a replacement and there's bound to be some training.

You know that, Helen, you've been there and Nikki also. The smug oily look of Fenner's face was especially galling.

There was nothing they could do right then not with Bodybag's noble self sacrificing "I'm saving the Department routine " yet again. Nikki and Helen wanted

out of the meeting. It was being cleverly steamrollered over them and the strain of bottling down their feelings was becoming unbearable. Helen had a quick

look around and noticed Dominic's untidy desk has been totally cleared and, Helen guessed bitterly, all his belongings would be in a plastic sack just

as if he were dead and his personal effects were being disposed of. It was all bare, clinical and unfeeling.

Immediately after the meeting, Helen gave a slight sideways head movement which was Nikki's cue to nip off to the loo after her.

"Nikki, this is total and utter shit but we've got the immediate problem of Bodybag lording it over us, at least a week at a time. We gotta get ready for

her to pick fault with us as she's going to go on a total power trip."

"You mean more so than present?" was Nikki's acid reply.

"It's simple, we're going to get the 'Contrary Mary' routine and, whatever we do, it's bound to be wrong. She's going to be the super efficient supervisor

digging up our so called mistakes."

"That's no surprise but......."

"So we make damn sure we have everything down in writing. No bloody verbal diarrhoea to send us round in circles. We stick to our guns and don't give that

bitch an inch, OK?"

Nikki listened to the passionate anger in Helen's voice and her flashing eyes and reckoned that that fighting talk got it about right.

"We'll go for it and stuff the lot of them." They knew that the war was going to come right out in the open.

The rest of the day dragged on in oppressive silence. The minimal communications between the two groups had stopped completely now. Helen and Nikki were

waiting for Bodybag to start her nit picking attack on them and sure enough, it came as predicted.

"That's wrong, Nikki." was the opening shot with the nasty emphasis on the word 'wrong'. "You remember the way I trained you up." And then the long spiel

started and a few minutes in, Nikki said.

"I haven't got the foggiest idea what you are saying. Can you write it up and let me have a look at it in my own time."

"Can't you understand the Queen's English, Wade? I thought you fancy yourself special and educated with your airs and graces"

"I said, put it in writing, Sylvia." Nikki replied quietly, looking at Bodybag straight in the eye.

Eventually, not giving an inch on this one, Bodybag backed down, took the papers back, did some scribbling and virtually threw the papers on her desk.

"What's up with you, Wade", Fenner's voice broke in on her concentration a couple of minutes later when Nikki was dug into a new case. "Are you being awkward

for awkward's sake with Sylvia?"

"Not in the slightest, Jim Fenner. It's simply that the only way I can follow what Sylvia "(here she bit back the urge to call her by her proper name )"

is saying is in writing. Helen really did the training for me, she's so much easier to understand."

That dragged in Bodybag into the battle as her position as 'top dog' was being directly attacked but Helen's steely tones cut in to say, yes, she's been

there longer than anyone else but Helen can't overtake her in time spent on this job. Sylvia can't do a clear verbal explanation to save her life and Dominic

was happy enough with their work. That is why they want it in writing, to make it easier on all sides, they aren't interested in arguing till the cows

come home there's too much to get done. The smile on Helen's face and their unassailable logic prevailed. The atmosphere you could now cut with a knife.

That evening was one of mixed emotions. On the one hand, they were delighted that they'd stuck it out as much as they had. Helen reached out for a vodka

bottle in celebration and also today had taken it out of them more than any other day and both of them were pouring out generous measures.

Nikki suddenly started crying and Helen gently asked her what the matter was. It was about Dominic and, Jesus, they'd pleaded with the poor bastard to take

control over his life and in a twisted way, he had done, he'd jacked in his job unable to stand it any more. That was because their help was too little,

too late and she wished they'd done something earlier and that was what tore her up inside. If they hadn't spoken to him perhaps he'd still been there.

That empty desk just got to her and likewise all the lying hypocrisy was a cover up. It maddened her that as far as the official record was concerned,

Fenner's and Bodybag's version was the truth. And Dominic was just a guy who'd been kind enough to them in his way, she hadn't had much of that in her

life and she could have helped him out more, you do understand Helen. And Nikki's eyes looked beseechingly to Helen for an answer.

Helen clung on to her and told her that Dom could have had a nervous breakdown if he'd stayed, at least he has a chance and, yes, she understood everything

Nikki was saying.

It was the first and last time Nikki had cried over a man but she knew Helen knew why and, most important, was there for her.

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Stubberfield was holding the phone in his hand for a long time after Dominic finished the call. He couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't believe what he

was hearing when Dominic had gone and rambled on in an emotional way about how he felt, how he couldn't face coming into the office any more so he was

resigning on the spot. He felt embarrassed at the way the man was going on, it made him feel uncomfortable. He was going on about how he was bullied and

made to feel about one inch tall. He did say that Helen Stewart and Nikki Wade had been unfailingly kind to him and did their best, it was the others.

He remembered a feeling of incredulity rising up inside himself as it was Maxi and Sylvia who were most concerned for him, they said so while Wade and

Stewart seemed stand-offish. That can't be right. He'd back his judgement to know better as he's got his finger on the pulse on what goes on in his section.

Dominic has got a good experienced chap like Jim to show him the ropes and look after the organisation. Must remember that one for his next annual report,

dependable bloke like him. Dominic ended up blubbering on the phone and making a real fool of himself, glad he wasn't there to witness the spectacle and

finished off asking that Wade and Stewart be publicly thanked for helping him out as best as they could and he'll remember their kindness. Naturally I

told him to put his resignation in writing, no chance to persuade the man to change his mind and I'll sort things out with personnel. Least I could do

for him I said.

He reflected awhile wondering if the finger could be pointed at him in not noticing if he was in trouble. Can't say I remember any sign of problems though,

oh yes, he always seemed to have a lot of work around. Man was very quiet. Never knew much about his background come to think about it. Come to think of

it, he remembered the most recent set of monthly figures of work outstanding that Jim prepared and things looked to be going quite well and that must be

the truth as the figures say so. Jim always says things are going pretty smoothly and he should know. Must be something personal at the back of it especially

the way he was so unstable on the phone.

I'll call Jim in, slip him the news and ask them to sort out the work. Don't think I'll mention anything about Wade and Stewart though. Suppose I'll have

to send a minute to personnel asking if it is OK to ask for a replacement. Can't take too many chances these days in bashing ahead for more staff on my

own. Too risky.

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The door to Karen and Mark's room flew open with a bang and an out of breath Nikki and Helen clattered in and made their way to a couple of empty chairs.

"Hey, what's the rush? Didn't think our hideout was that exciting " Karen's raised eyebrow and gentle irony was designed to calm them down.

"Dominic's resigned." The words shot out of Helen's mouth. "No reason given but it's bloody obvious that the poor bastard has had enough. Of course, the

whole thing is being covered up, just swept under the carpet"

"Shit, that's landed you in it." Mark offered his sympathy. He did not need diagrams being drawn for him that their plans to share out the work had gone

pear shaped." When did all this happen then?"

"Three days ago. The whole thing was dropped on us first thing and we've had bloody Bodybag doing decisions on our work alternate weeks. We've been driven

spare trying to stop that cow from treading all over us. We need a replacement and fast but Stubberfield that useless fat pillock has given us a load of

vague nothings and done sod all. We've only just come up while their backs are turned." Nikki spoke at breakneck speed, still out of breath.

"Hold it. Are you telling me that you are short of one overpayment decision maker and that lazy fat no hoper can't turn anything up? I know for a fact that

an old school friend of mine called Roisin Connor is there to be snapped up. She's working at the office down the road, been doing the job for several

years, she's just split from her husband and has a hardship application for this office to be near her mother who lives in this town. She's had mega problems

in her marriage and I mean mega. Got two kids to bring up. She's there for the taking."

Helen and Nikki might have knocked their heads against the wall in sheer frustration but somehow they were ceasing to be surprised at the mixture of incompetence

and viciousness that marked where they work. Somehow putting this issue on one side Helen asked Karen what had happened to their report and Karen said

that her boss had just sent it on its way to Stubberfield 'and they had been able to say pretty much what they wanted to say- it takes no prisoners.'

"Gotta go, you guys." Nikki rose pulling Helen by the hand and smiling as she spoke. "We've a boss to see about a woman. Thanks, thanks a lot."

And the door banged back as they shot out of the door pulling a draft of air behind it.

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A little later, another door opened quietly, the door to Stubberfield's room.

"And what might you two be doing here? Is there something keeping you from your work?"

"So if Jim Fenner spends half his time here, that's OK but not us. It's not that you've spent a great deal of your time talking to us." Helen spoke quietly

trying to keep a smile on her face. "We've got a problem we wanted to talk with you about."

"Shouldn't you be talking to Jim Fenner about it," a bit of an edge coming into his voice "I'm sure he'll be able to deal with it."

"He either won't or can't. That's why we are going up the line till we find the guy who can and will." Nikki replied quietly but firmly and looking Stubberfield

in the eye. She has previously noticed a report half hidden behind some papers which she recognised as Karen's. Good, we may have the bastard on the jump.

Helen came to the point and explained that they wanted to know if there was any progress about replacing Dominic as they'd been under pressure for months

and things can only get worse at present....Stubberfield cut Helen off, talking over the top of her that he had only just got the OK to fill the job and

he couldn't do any more at this stage.

"Do you know that right at this minute, there is a fully trained up decision maker called Roisin Connor wanting to come in on a hardship transfer. She could

drop in just like that. Did you know that and are you going to do something about this."

Just as Nikki had raised the tension a notch in her voice, with deceptive casualness, she delivered the knock out blow that she'd heard this from appeals.

Stubberfield quivered at this one, the mention of his least favourite word right now with the combined threat to go over his head if he did nothing and

the sharp feeling of worry that they knew all about the damning report on his desk. He had better do something and, in any case, claim the credit in front

of his fellow bosses for being Mr Dynamic.

Nikki and Helen graciously allowed him to get the credit of fixing the transfer and went back to hide studiously behind their computers. For the rest of

the day they kept a low profile as, unknown to Bodybag, Fenner and Maxi, they were due for some nasty surprises. Best thing was to get the hell out of

there for the weekend.

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Nikki's flat was stripped bare and all her possessions were packed into suitcases, or cardboard boxes full of books squeezed into every spare inches of

them. All the personal things were taken off the walls, the pictures and so on till they were cleared into the van they'd hired. All that there was now

was a few full up rubbish bins. They were ready to move her stuff into Helen's bigger flat and, cross fingers, there would be the space.

Nikki looked around and the memories flooded back, mostly not very good. This was where she'd ended up after splitting from Trisha and was Nikki trying

to get her life together by herself. Part of it was too many lonely evenings and bad scenes with other ex girlfriends in the flat. She was making a big

step now and a bit of her was nervous. She smiled a bit now to look at her bed stripped bare and reflect on the first night she had spent with Helen. That

was something she would look back nostalgically and any time she passed back along the street that part of the street would stay with her in her mind.

It was time to move on.

All the neighbours regarded Fenner as a solid citizen. His house looked smart and his family was well turned out. Periodically, delivery vans called at

his house for some new piece of furniture and he was obviously a good father. He had a solid reputation there just as he had at work. His gleaming new

car was parked on the drive where every Saturday morning, he would be out with buckets of water and chrome cleaner. His wife was friendly and neighbourly

and they obviously had good standards. They would go out in the car to Saturday football match which was what Fenner enjoyed. Sundays was golf with Stubberfield

and a few jars after. He was, if nothing else, a conventional man, furthering his career..

Sitting at home in front of the TV watching "changing rooms" while Marylin chirped on about ideas for the house, Fenner was musing. Besides the perennial

absence of a good looking bird round the office that he fancied and who fancied him, Fenner was puzzled by Stubberfield's attitude on Friday afternoon.

Normally, he could stroll in and be welcome of a chat and the latest inside news, that day Stubberfield was jumpy and clearly not himself. He got the feeling

that Stubberfield didn't want to prolong the conversation. He couldn't get that.

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"What's with the two lovebirds doing in early?" Maxi hissed under her breath to Bodybag. "And why are they grinning over their faces? I thought with all

the aggro they'd been given last week by you, they'd keep a bloody low profile."

Bodybag couldn't work that one out either. Pity she's down this week doing assessing so she couldn't lord it over them. Her power fix that week had made

her feel so much better and wielding that extra bit of authority felt good to her. It was as if she'd had that extra stripe sewn on her uniform in her

Army days. It was so much better then with real discipline around and those below you took orders without questions, not like that argumentative twosome.

Her blood pressure rose when she could see them smiling lovesick at each other. Nothing like that happened in the Army in her day, as far as she was aware.

"What's that yellow crate doing on Dominic's old desk?" Bodybag asked in growing anger "We've a right to be told what's going on"

Her sincerity sounded almost believable and if Helen and Nikki had heard they would have told them bluntly that what they really meant is that they wanted

the right to be 'in the know' and feel superior knowing something that others didn't. Keeping others in the dark out of spite came easily and naturally

to them but justice, poetic or otherwise, was a closed book.

A little later, a stranger came their way to the room who Bodybag didn't know and was to be duly cross examined. You can't be too careful these days.

"I'm Roisin Connor", came the lilting Irish voice in reply. "I'm your new Decision Maker. Is that my desk over there where my stuff is?"

Helen came forward with a broad welcoming smile to give her a hand to tidy up the desk which had been cluttered with 'junk' official circulars which everyone

had 'skimmed' signed off as read to die quietly in a corner.

"I'm really sorry the place is in a bit of a tip but we'd heard very late on that you are coming. Believe you me, you're very welcome."

Bodybag stood opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish. Bad enough that she'd not heard of this but that someone like Stewart had heard of it was ten

times worse. She and Maxi waylaid Fenner who had the ill luck just to be coming out of Stubberfield's room with an angry red face.

"Just shut it Sylvia." Fenner hissed under his breath feeling infuriated enough that Stubberfield had dropped the news on him like that and then these two

harpies were going for his jugular as well. "And you, Maxi. It's out of my hands. And in any case, we need some help anyway. Might end up dumping on her

like I did with Dominic," Fenner smiled crookedly to mollify them, in other words appeal to their base instincts.

"Roisin Connor, is it." smiled Fenner seemingly almost sincerely welcoming. "You sit down and when you're ready, I'll show you the setup. Everything's nice

and cosy here, you're amongst friends"

Roisin made the first correct move of the day by spotting the flash of anger on Nikki's and Helen's faces at the sheer barefaced nerve of Fenner's lies.

Better still, they both spotted Roisin's reaction in return.

Roisin was busy sorting out her desk quietly, conscious already of a distinct atmosphere. It was blindingly obvious when she first saw Stubberfield what

he wasn't saying about the section she was landing into so her eyes and ears were wide open. In a corner of her desk, she set out a photograph of a little

boy and a girl which went with her everywhere. She felt safe with them dropped off for school and was glad that they were happy at her mothers and were

visibly more settled now that she'd finally moved out. Mum enjoyed outrageously spoiling them though she'd deny it.

Presently, Fenner came over and did a passably convincing display of friendship, smoothing over Bodybag's undisguised glare of hostility at Roisin having

'stolen' her temporary promotion from her and being an unknown factor as opposed to Dominic whom they had been used to being kept down.

Roisin smiled briefly and formally as she was introduced to the layout of the office. Lucky she was tipped off by Karen what she was letting herself in

for when she accepted the post but images of a living nightmare of Aiden hammering at the door late at nights following the final almighty row, the frantic

call to the police when .....but now was not the time and she forced her mind back to the present, spend today getting settled in. She was acutely aware

when she first saw Stubberfield, he wasn't that friendly.

Maxi and Bodybag eyes were on her trying to get the measure of what she was like the framed photo of a little boy and a girl told them that she was a normal

married woman with children. The little crucifix on a necklace told Maxi that the clerical robes might steer her via our Lord into their gang and against

the two dykes. She appeared quiet with a quick friendly smile that certainly didn't exclude Helen and Nikki. This was early days and it was only a matter

of time till lurid tales of their so called "goings on" would be relayed to her. Unless they missed a mile, there was a halfway decent chance that Roisin

would be all right, especially if she was an old friend of Karen. Just take it easy they thought and she had a nice enough welcoming smile for them last

thing.

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"Of course, it's a terrible journey I have to drive in every day." moaned Bodybag. "I was talking to my neighbour just the other day that I'm a fool to

work here when there's an office just down the road but what can you do? Can't let the side down." she finished in full martyr mode.

I wish the frig she would move thought Helen. I've had to stand her for so long even more than Nikki has. She's part of my bloody problem that if I said

what I really think I'd be in deep trouble so these years of reining myself in has inhibited me and not say things the way I should. I've been working

here too long, she thought, office etiquette is the pits. Thank God for Nikki to bring me out of myself and not just the obvious way, she smiled. With

her around, I can push the boundaries a bit more.

"But all this travelling is costing me, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep doing this."

What is the devious cow talking about, Helen thought, why keep that remark hanging in the air?

"Which is my split of work, Jim Fenner, " Roisin asked mildly. At this point, she had the curious sensation that while she was sure she was making a perfectly

sensible remark, the expression on the faces of Fenner and Bodybag suggested she was talking some strange foreign language.

"I think Roisin means that we should take a chunk of work so that she does decisions on any claimant between the range of 'aardvark' and 'justice', you

know alphabetical order, Jim Fenner." Helen said, a streak of crazy humour springing straight from her unconscious.

"I knew a Suzie Aardvark once, Helen." Nikki chimed in with a cheeky grin." My first girlfriend, as it happens."

Maxi's and Bodybag's faces were a picture of anger and bewilderment at being mentally wrong footed. They were most at home in straight line, narrow minded

moralising and they could not get their heads round anything that did not conform to this. In this state of confusion Helen dropped them in it when she

said that Maxi and Bodybag insisted on 'sorting the work out for everyone' first thing in the morning. Nikki's reply that she had always been bemused by

what she thought was an ancient tribal ritual from the simplicities of looking after your own chunk of work in her old job. Motivates you to feel responsible

for it so you can set your priorities, she finished grabbing at a convenient chunk of managementspeak.

"Looks like we need some changes around here," Roisin smiled. "You agree Jim Fenner. The other thing is, where is the Decision Maker's Guide?"

A deafening silence echoed round the room and Bodybag looked sort of swivel eyed and for once wasn't to going to chime in with the smart remark. Maxi glared

not going to say anything either and Fenner discreetly looked the other way.

"You mean, the one we once found in your draw, Sylvia." Nikki's quiet voice oh so effortlessly dropped Bodybag in the mire. Fenner at this point pretended

complete ignorance and Maxi and Bodybag were speechless.

"My God, this one's as old as the hills. There's tons of amendments not been done. How in hell have you been able to do the job properly?" Roisin asked

in astonishment.

Bodybag's face was a picture when she was told that as the Guide had been at the bottom of her drawer, she ought to sit down and get the guide up to date.

This was a job that she hated for one and also, that it would set up something that her words of wisdom could be challenged by something of real authority

in writing. Her feeble reply was that she had been able to impart wisdom through talking to appeals and they had got along that way was met by Roisin's

smile as she said that Karen Betts was an old friend of hers.

Just at that point, a rather out of breath Stubberfield hurried out of his room and asked to speak to Fenner. That must be Karen's report smiled Nikki,

I've never seen the guy move like that. He's the sort of person who needs to show that he doesn't have the same worries and fears that the menials in an

office admit to.

"Is that both of us he wants?" Roisin asked.

"No, it's just me he wants, it's personal," snapped Fenner, angry that this new bloody woman is throwing her weight about. Why didn't Stubberfield tell

him what was in store for him?

"Well, we'd better all get the work shifted around. No time like the present," Roisin's quick smile and soft tones took away any apparent bossiness. Helen

and Nikki started sorting the papers with a will and Maxi and Bodybag with a sulk.

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"Do you go to church," Maxi asked Roisin later on with a smile on her face but not in her eyes. "It's just with the crucifix and everything."

"Not as often as I should," Roisin replied politely "what with two children to look after."

"It's nice to have some normal people around, what with those two," gesturing in Helen and Nikki's direction. "I suppose you've heard about them. Don't

suppose the Pope is very keen on them. Next thing, they'll want to get married in Church. Give them an inch and take a mile."

Roisin excused herself politely, gently reminding her that they work for an Equal Opportunities employer and that she carries her religion quietly. She

thought they were nice enough people and she likes to get on with everyone.

After Helen and Nikki sorted out all the accumulated rubbish that has sneaked to the bottom of the trays and putting them in order, a quick look showed

that a lot of the easier work that had been kept away from them had now ended up with them. They both smiled to themselves that Maxi and Bodybag were going

to have it rougher and a good thing too. Now they were going to get a taste of what they and Dom had to put up with.

They had given Roisin plenty of time to settle in and they had a gut feeling they were going to be all right.

"I can't believe this one, Nik. Look over there."

Nikki had just come back with the drinks to the table that Helen had saved and plonked them down and looked in the direction that Helen was pointing at.

There was a couple in a discreet corner of the pub in a passionate embrace which in any other pub would have attracted at the very least 'pretending not

to look' looks. They recognised the dark haired woman straight off but were, for the moment, not sure what to do next. The Roisin in the pub that they

saw was far from the reserved polite woman that they had started to get to know.

They mentally flashed back to the week that had just gone when Roisin had had periodic conversations with Maxi, Fenner and Bodybag. They kept rabbiting

on that at least there was a bit of respectability coming to the office what with Fenner, a happily married man, Maxi and her partner, just leaving "those

two", letting the tone of the place down. By implication, Bodybag had all the moral virtues around, she was just unlucky with her getting married to Bobby.

They both noticed that Roisin never started these conversations and diplomatically tried to get away from the 'them and us' angle. She had tried to do

a balancing act between all of them which wasn't easy. In the end she had had enough and said politely that she doesn't come to work to bitch about people

she's got better things to do with her time. She could see that they had trouble getting their heads around that idea.

Nikki and Helen were able to almost smile at barbed comments about them about the way they were. The more that gang disapproved of them, the more confirmation

they had that they must be doing right. Besides, very quietly and effectively, Roisin had changed things in the direction that they had both wanted for

a long time.

"Hey, Roisin. Nice to see you." Nikki called out and smiled and waved at her and grabbed her drink.

Roisin blushed slightly and looked very sheepish to be recognised but introduced Nikki and Helen to the small fair haired woman next to her that they had

not seen before.

"Are these two some of your straight nobbing women that you work with, Roisin." Cassie asked slightly aggressively. Behind that hard exterior, Nikki could

see that Cassie was simply very defensive. Roisin had moved town recently and Cassie had jumped to the conclusion that they must know Roisin from work

and that therefore they must be straight. Though God knows why she got that idea, why else were they at that pub what with the regulars who used the pub?

"We are an item just the same as you two are." And Nikki launched immediately into a rapid explanation that they understood very well why Roisin wasn't

"out" at work as she had the bad luck to be around some of the most narrow minded homophobic bitches around. They would use that one against her and do

their best to pull her down like they'd done to the poor guy who was there before her.

"Yeah, well, Roache needed to get away from that nob of a husband and she doesn't need any more grief, do you hon." Cassie's tones had softened as she slipped

her hand into Roisin's.

"We can tell how protective you are of each other. We know how you feel that way," Helen's voice conveying total sincerity and was greeted with a grateful

smile from Cassie.

They chatted awhile and they found out that Cassie did the exact same job as they did though by common consent, now was not the time to 'talk shop'.

Presently, Helen suggested tactfully that if they wanted time to themselves, they'd understand and no way would they tell anyone at work about Roisin. Coming

out was purely her choice. After an exchange of 'see you around', Nikki and Helen went back to their seats and Roisin and Cassie to embrace partly in relief

that being publicly 'outed' at a time they least expected was treated with such kindness and understanding.

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"So what's your husband do for a living," Maxi asked Roisin, the following Monday.

Roisin when she first came in to work, had exchanged glances with Helen and Nikki who smiled encouragement back. They both conveniently enough worked to

Roisin who now had got the measure of the people around her. She had heard the backstabbing start as soon as they were out of the room but Nikki and Helen

were pleasant accommodating helpful people and they were on the same side and not because they were gay.

"Oh he works as a warehouse manager. He works all sorts of hours." Roisin said briefly.

"What are your children called," Helen asked thinking that Roisin needed a diversion creating and fast.

Roisin became more animated and said that Niamph was really bright and had got a gold star for her latest story while Michael was into football and was

a good boy. Roisin was about to enlarge on this when Bodybag just came off the phone and elbowed her way into the conversation.

"Of course Cassie and Cougar keep me occupied all the time. They are good but they know who's in charge."

Roisin's eyebrows were raised at the coincidence of one Christian name and the odd choice for the other one for a child and was about to speak when Nikki's

low voice of explanation enlightened her .

"They're huskies, Roisin. I know what you're thinking."

Roisin found it hard not to grin in reaction to Nikki's little smile which was hidden behind the computer from Bodybag. After all, Bodybag's dogs were not

a laughing matter and she would be mortally offended if she were found to be amusing at her expense. This was especially hard for Roisin when she thought

that Bodybag was precisely the sort of woman that her girlfriend would hate her guts instantaneously. She would make that bloody obvious and she'd be extremely

pissed off sharing the same nobbing name as one of her nobbing dogs, something Cassie was not into by any stretch of the imagination. She ought to be grateful

that the blare of conversation took the attention clean away from questions about her husband and her marital respectability. Nikki and Helen, on the other

hand, groaned inwardly and wondered if, after failing to get at them every other way was going to wear them down to a gradual death by boredom. They'd

heard these tales so many interminable times before and they wondered why in hell looking after two boisterous dogs didn't give her a big enough power

fix to satisfy her that she needs more of it at work.

Next day Fenner shouted to everyone that they were going to have a quick meeting and he was red in the face and his eyes were glaring at Nikki and Helen

in particular.

"Of course, if those two got in early, we'd have been able to have the meeting first thing and be out of the way," moaned Bodybag.

"Scuse me," Nikki shot back "a thousand apologies for not bringing my crystal ball with me. If you'd asked Hel and I last night, you might have got what

you want."

"That's too easy and straightforward for you Sylvia, it would have stopped you having a whinge at us" smiled Helen.

"Don't I get a say in all this," Roisin asked quietly.

Fenner partly suppressed his natural rudeness. "This is from before your time, Roisin. This is about those bloody shitstirring appeals lot having a go at

us, and telling us how to do our bloody job with this shitting report about the state of training. I've let Sylvia have a look at this one before and she's

as livid as me. 'The standard of decision making leaves a lot to be desired and reflects partly on the training given to the calculators........there are

glaring obvious mistakes made that remedial training would reduce substantially the number of appeals' Patronising crap I call it."

"Oh so you did know about this beforehand, didn't you Sylvia." Helen fired back starting to get angry. The bastards have sat on this report. It was out

at least a week or more, she thought at lightning speed.

"Hold it, hold it, this involves everyone at every level, those being trained, those doing the training and even if it started before my time, I'm going

to be involved as much as you in putting things right. This report needs to be copied, if you please."

Fenner glared at this new woman, very polite and restrained who was sticking her oar in and stopping him sweeping things on. Dominic would have not said

a thing, we could have swung this across Wade and Stewart and sewn things up tight.

Nikki and Helen were delighted that Roisin quietly chipped in at the right time and were vociferous that they weren't going to sit by while Fenner read

out excerpts of a report and bounce them into agreeing something quickly. The report was about them. They wanted a copy of the report and lets put off

the meeting till we've all seen it.

"I thought you were best friends with appeals, Sylvia." Helen's smile rubbed in the jibe. "That's what you've been banging on about ever since I've been

here."

"You set this up you two. I'm sure you two snitched on us," Bodybag said with a sniff.

"As if we would," Nikki's grin provoked Bodybag further. "If anyone goes in for conspiracies, it's you."

Roisin cut in asking that Fenner copy the report and give everyone a couple of days to look at it and let's have the meeting for say 8.30, she said looking

at Helen and Nikki who nodded agreement.

" I bet you give your poor sod of a husband the run around, giving him orders." Fenner said under his breath at which point the others had to fight hard

to stop giggling.

"That's it, I'm putting in for a transfer to the office round the corner where I live. I've given the best years of my life into trying to keep this section

going. As an old stager, you would have thought that it would command respect but it seems I'm wrong. you get no thanks for all you've done. Nobody listens

to what people of my grade think..........."

She was allowed to go on and on. Roisin figured out that Bodybag worked to Fenner and he could have the privilege of calming her down and he pleaded and

begged her to stay. Helen and Nikki thought that the more she moaned and moaned, it would wear her out and if she did leave, so much the better. Even if

they had to slog their guts out trying to catch up till they got a replacement, it would be worthwhile to get the most poisonous of them out of the way.

Maxi was vicious but she was fairly thick in comparison. Things were going more and more their way. We're getting those bastards on the run now.

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The sausage rolls and rolls with assorted fillings were lined up geometrically on plates along with the cheese cubes expertly skewered by cocktail sticks.

The paper napkins were geometrically folded and the bottles of wine, allowed in by special dispensation by Mr Stubberfield were of the best. Maxi and Bodybag

both agreed they'd done the section proud in arranging a buffet in honour of Bodybag's last day before she started work at her new office. The feeling

of unreality hung over the section that Bodybag's final day had come but that this was not really happening.

"Yes Mr Stubberfield I shall be ever so sorry to leave such a crowd of people, "she beamed "and I do feel guilty that I am leaving everyone in the lurch

but this place will live on without me. Far be it for me to stand in anyone's way to shine. Besides, none of us are getting any younger and these bones

feel the aches and pains of all the driving over the years travelling to work."

"Well, I'll be sorry to see you go," Mr Stubberfield said with real sincerity for who else would give him that precious insight onto the 'shop floor' that

Sylvia had unfailingly provided over the years. "And no one else but you and Maxi could lay on such a spread. You would have thought that those two in

the corner would offer to help out", he said pointing at Nikki and Helen who were standing in a corner." but I suppose some people don't have that team

spirit, do they?"

"Well, some people will naturally join in and others will keep themselves to themselves," Bodybag said with a sneer." You'll have to watch these two now

I'm no longer around....but you've still got Maxi and Jim Fenner to help you," she finished not wasting the last few chances to stick the knife in.

Nikki and Helen were reflecting on the success of the meeting that they'd finally had where the version of the report they'd finally seen wasn't the edited

version that Bodybag and Fenner were trying to palm off. The report named no names but Karen had quoted chapter and verse in showing where the blatant

errors were and pinpointed Bodybag at the back of the poor training. It showed how capriciously she had operated behind the scenes in the contradictory

mistakes that were picked up. Fenner was shown up for what he was in being sloppy and careless. Curiously, few of Dominic's cases were brought to light.

Nikki and Helen remembered how bruising the debate was and that only by frankly admitting their own mistakes when they hadn't known any better at the time,

could they drop the others in it to the extent that they did. No names were mentioned but this was the price of getting things changed in how they did

their job. They faced the scowls and glares from across the room but Roisin, in quietly directing the debate into changing their ways, gave just enough

of a push that Nikki and Helen freely admitted they couldn't quite have done on their own.

All this was quietly swept under the carpet today which they were content to let things run. Let Bodybag have her brief moment of glory to finally hold

centre stage, to brag and show off her self importance for the last time. They knew her for what she was and all that they wanted was her to drive off

in her car, never to return again. The small group surrounding her were as if her courtiers willing to let her shine and remember the Good Old Days that

never were.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Fenner started and didn't blink at the incongruity of the remark. "We'll be sorry after all these years to see Sylvia Hollamby leave

this office where she's worked so long but what is bad news to us will be good news to the place where she'll take up duties. We'll remember her for the

way she went out of her way to pass on her vast experience to nervous new trainees and mould them into the sort of person who, like her, gives their all

to the job........."

You hypocritical lying bastards, they thought. Slightly missing was the hectoring and bullying and sneaky attempts to undermine you, the paranoia about

what was said if you once went out of the room and, if they hadn't been there for each other from the start when they were simply friends, their self esteem

would have drained away in the way that had happened to poor Dominic. He's never got a mention and was he the first nameless faceless victim of her twisted

nature? Never mind, let's go through with the pantomime, get stuck into the food and for once, have some of the wine as well.

"And Mr Stubberfield, ever mindful of the welfare of his staff has got hold of a replacement for Sylvia. Course I don't expect her to fill her shoes but

Mr Stubberfield has assured me that Miss Tyler has come with pretty good recommendations even if he hasn't heard of her personally. We'll look forward

to her coming much though we'll regret losing her long experience. Sylvia's loss will be the other office's gain so let's raise your glasses to Sylvia."

During this last piece, Nikki and Helen had to fight hard to suppress a grin. They knew her even if Mr Stubberfield didn't and Roisin knew her very well

and they could see her acting the part of Mrs Innocent very well. They said 'To Sylvia' with the others, get lost and good riddance as they drank their

wine with a flourish.

Right at the end, a cheaply sentimentally tearful Bodybag was escorted to her car and their eyes never made contact with her and they watched her drive

off into the distance. It was dark in the foyer to the office as they saw the car manoeuvre its way out of the car park, Bodybag not looking back and was

finally gone. For the first time ever in the office they wrapped their arms round each other as the enormity of the relief started to hit them.

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"Haven't you two got homes to go to" Karen's voice jumped out at them from out of the darkness. "Didn't think you loved the place that much or are you going

out to celebrate Bodybag's departure."

Nikki and Helen sprang apart in shock as the light had been switched on and Karen and Mark approached them.

"Didn't see you at the celebrations, Karen?" Helen said with a slight smile.

"If I had come. I would have ended up publicly vomiting at the lying bitch droning on about how she hated to leave you and all that sort of stuff conveniently

forgetting the real reasons" Karen said with heartfelt anger.

"And what's that?" enquired Nikki listening intently.

"You do know that Bodybag first came here on periods of temporary loan from the office she's moving back to. Eventually, she took a permanent transfer and

was paid excess travelling costs. She could only get it for three years and after that her expenses would stop. That was due to take place any time now

so her tearful 'nobody loves me' routine was just a big con when it was just financial greed that motivates her, that and stabbing people in the back and

watching them bleed. And, of course you didn't know that when that strike took place years ago in Leicester, she volunteered to strikebreak and was really

coining in the money on travelling expenses, subsistence expenses, you name it, she got it."

Neither of them had trouble in finding the words to express themselves but the sheer enormity of the greed and selfishness hit them. both of them were naturally

generous but they'd been given an insight into a way of thinking that was an abomination and was so evil. There wasn't a single little area of her life

that didn't offend them.

"But what are you doing hanging round here, you guys." Mark's face could be seen grinning from ear to ear now that the person who had caused him so much

grief had gone. He could cut a swathe through all the crappy work that had come from Bodybag and do what the hell he liked with them with no comeback.

"We're out for a celebration, Karen and I and I thought you'd want to do the same unless you're stopping in with a bottle or four."

Mark was right, Why on a Friday evening weren't they elsewhere? They were good people and accepting of them naturally. Perhaps this was a sign of things

to come.

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"So what's this new nobbing office you've lured me away to, babes." Cassie asked Roisin when they were out on a Saturday night. Roisin had done the usual

evening flurry of maternal activity putting the children to bed for her mother to babysit, hastily getting dressed up and zooming out in Cassie's smart

car out for the night.

"Like hell on earth, Cassie. Well not all of it. You've got Nikki and Helen for a start."

"I remember them. They're cool. So what's the downside." Cassie said, looking Roisin in the eye.

"You've got Stubberfield who's idle and lazy and has his favourites. You've got Maxi who's homophobic and vicious. And you've got Fenner who'll want to

have a private chat with you to see if you will be 'his special girl.' He's tried it on with Helen and Nikki and no doubt others."

Cassie grinned thinking that it will be the case of third time unlucky. She could hardly brush him off like knee in groin and get the sack, first day but

verbally she could do the same and just keep within office protocol. The art of pushing at boundaries came easy to her.

"Well, if it means not having to drive like a maniac between towns to see you, moving in with you and your nobbing husband at last out of the way, then

lead me to the snakepit, hon."

"It won't be as bad as it had been, remember, Cassie. They're in the minority now and especially that Bodybag is out of the way now.........."

That was exactly the same reflection that Nikki and Helen now shared. It was strange now that they couldn't adjust to the fact that the person who had been

the focus of their lives at work was no longer there. This was strange even if the focus of that energy had been hatred and contempt and fear about what

was happening while their backs are turned.

"Surely, you're not going to say that you're missing Bodybag already" Helen joked as she raised the wine glass to her lips.

"It's that I know I won't get that voice out of my head for a long time," smiled Nikki. "Hey, sounds like a line out of a Kylie Minogue song."

"Not the same, Nikki, is it" Helen returned the grin.

They were at home with a couple of bottles between them, the alcohol starting to mellow them down. The week had built up to a fever pitch as if it they

were prisoners coming to the end of their time in jail. The first sniff of freedom and waiting, counting down, for the last few hours, no seconds before

the barred gates are at last swung open and, before them, only blue sky and nothing standing in the way. Physically nothing had changed, they could go

where they liked but it was the freedom of the soul that they wallowed in as if it was some heaven sent shower sprinkling goodness down their skins.

"Still," Helen said looking affectionately at her "If it hadn't been them banging on about us, we might not have got together."

"You sure of that one, Helen." Nikki looked deep into Helen's eyes.

"Probably not." Helen admitted. And Nikki was close in thinking to Helen to realise that what she meant was that she would have probably fallen for Nikki

sooner or later without Bodybag and the rest going on about it. Still it was amusing to think that they were unwitting matchmakers, did they but know it.

Fenner grumped his way round the house. He had depended on Sylvia so much over the years telling him how to do his job that it was a shock that the prop

he was used to was no longer there. He snarled periodically at Marilyn who, typically didn't understand him and kept on asking him what the matter was.

When the kids were pestering him to help them with their homework, he told them to shut it and stomped off down the garden to his shed. He didn't like

change in his life that way. So long Marilyn kept things running smoothly at home and Sylvia at work, though in different ways of course, he could focus

his energies into keeping in well with Stubberfield at home and eyeing up the talent at work and from time to time taking things further when he had the

chance to do so. What was this Miss Tyler like? Nobody knew much about her from the grapevine. Still, see how she looks and you never knew your luck.....

Bodybag was alone with her dogs at home. So it was all ended and she was at home on another empty weekend with all her bits and pieces and souvenirs from

her time at the office. On her mantelpiece was a farewell card signed "from all your friends" and she studied the signatures. Most effusive was Mr Stubberfield

and Jim Fenner and there were squiggles from other people in the office that she'd worked with outside the section. She was glad to get out of the office

now that the section had been taken over by that Irish bitch and those two lovebirds. She would nurse her resentment and grudges against them forever and

a day. She prided herself that she never forgot a slight against her. Forgiveness was a sign of softness and she'd been brought up to be hard. That was

a sign of strength where she came from. Her parents had brought her up never to cry and that, she thought, was what had made her strong, stronger than

anyone else....

Mark was collapsed in a drunken heap on the floor laughing his head off and Karen was having trouble focussing her eyes upon him. They'd cracked open the

wine early Saturday morning drinking toasts to the future in large measures. It seemed a good idea late in the afternoon to crack open the bottle of Malibu

they'd bought for a special occasion. Mark had odd days when he got plastered but Karen was not worried for him this time as this was blowing open a lot

of pent up stress that he'd been under. He was happier than she'd seen him in months and his conversation was gloriously surreal and it wasn't just the

drink. There was a light heartedness she hadn't seen in ages about him. She'd been worried about his disturbed nights. Somehow she felt that tonight he'd

be out like a light although mind you just when they'd get to sleep tonight was anyone's guess when she sensed that they would be both up for it. They

wouldn't get that drunk.

It was amazing that the absence of just one person made such a difference......

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Nikki stood looking at the bare empty desk where Bodybag had once worked. Everything was swept bare but Nikki fancifully thought that perhaps the desk ought

to be exorcised to cleanse it of evil spirits. It had been the place where so much bad vibrations had been focussed in on and had radiated round the room,

not that the place was entirely clear with Maxi and Fenner were still there. Nevertheless, the linchpin had been knocked out of the structure of evil that

at one time had come close to driving her down.

"Glad that Sylvia's gone now, Wade." sneered Maxi "With her gone, we're really in the shit now."

"Oh ecstatically so, Maxi" Nikki replied with a smile. Let the cow make of it as she wanted.

Next thing Roisin and Cassie came through the door and Roisin asked if one of them could show Cassie the ropes at which point Helen being the most experienced

jumped in a second before Maxi. They had to move like lightning to stop Maxi filling Bodybag's shoes. That cow was absolutely, definitely not going to

rule the roost whatever she thought because we're taking over. Things were going to change all right, Helen thought. We've got the numbers now and the

upper hand though the bastards don't know it yet. What Nikki and I were trying to do on our own, with Cassie and Roisin with us we can now do. Helen smiled

with all the satisfaction of someone who's dream was coming true.

"I'd be glad for you to show me where everything is, Helen." Cassie responded with her friendly smile.

How in hell does she know her name, Maxi thought. What the hell is going on?

Nikki was amused to see how well Roisin and Cassie were keeping up the pretence that they'd never known each other before. They look a bit different from

when she last saw them wrapped up in each other's arms in that pub we saw them at.

Fenner couldn't believe his luck when he saw Cassie. A small ravishing blond with a cheeky smile and very sexy looking. He liked them with bigger boobs

but there was plenty to grab onto. Well, much though he was grateful for Sylvia's solid support over the years, Cassie looked as though she could do things

for him that Sylvia couldn't do. So long as she could chuck out the work up to Sylvia's standard, things were looking up. This was a change from Maxi who's

OK but respectably married, those two dykes in the corner and that Roisin who comes over as prim and proper who's treading on his toes far too bloody much

these days. Yes, unless he's guessed wrong, he's in with a chance. I think it is time for a friendly introductory chat he thought especially as Cassie

is working to him. Surprisingly, Roisin didn't offer a word of objection when he suggested that, he thought she'd butt in and insist on doing that like

she did with a lot of things these days.

A private letter landed on Nikki's desk addressed to both her and Helen in a script that looked familiar. Nikki opened it as Helen was engrossed in getting

Cassie settled in. A warm smile spread over Nikki's face as she read it.

"Dear Nikki and Helen

I'm sorry I never got the chance to speak to you properly . I had a nervous breakdown over that weekend and I phoned up Stubberfield to tell him I couldn't

stand it any more. I really can't remember too well what I said but I did ask him to thank you publicly for all the kindness and help you gave me.

I feel guilty that I'd not stood up enough for you both but I'd not stood up enough for myself either against Sylvia Maxi and Fenner. Anyway, I wanted to

write to make up for it and I'd love to see you both again with my new partner Zandra who's worked wonders with me. I also hope that both of you are happy

in your life together.

Don't forget to phone and this letter you can also use officially. It is something I can still do for you.

Your old boss and friend

Dominic"

Nikki's smile was radiant thinking that Dominic had come through for them in the end and landed Stubberfield in the shit just nicely.

"A letter from your lover" sneered Maxi.

"Can't you make your staff grow up, Jim Fenner. There's no room for that sort of bitchiness now" Roisin spoke up sharply.

Nice one, Roisin, thought Nikki. And this is just for starters.

Cassie had taken a swift look round when she came in. She could see Fenner leering at her and realised straight off, Roisin had explained things exactly

right. Well, that nobbing idiot is going to be in for the shock of his life when I talk to him. I'll play along with him till when I see him on my own.

And I can do my job just fine so if he thinks he can tell me what to do, he's got another think coming as I used to stand in for his type of job at my

old office. Roisin is doing a great job in pretending not to know me. Helen and Nikki are old mates already and I can eat that cow Maxi for breakfast,

no probs.

Nikki and Helen grinned at each other when Fenner asked Cassie for a 'private chat' while Roisin smiled serenely being quite relaxed at Cassie's ability

to handle herself. Cassie gave him an inviting smile and Maxi was dug into her work while Fenner, thinking that this was definitely his day, couldn't wait

till they had walked down the corridor to where the private interview room was inviting them to step in.

Twenty of the longest minutes that Nikki and Helen had known crawled by, till a red faced sweating Fenner emerged looking visibly shaken and a smiling Cassie

followed. Cassie made her way up to Roisin and kissed her full on the lips right there in the middle of the office.

"Ere, Jim, are we being overrun by dykes? What's happening?" Maxi glared round looking totally confused.

"Why do you always get things wrong, Maxi? For years we've suffered the noisy bigoted opinions of you and your kind. You'll never believe us but this is

a victory for human decency especially with this letter I've got from Dominic, God bless him. As if we're conspiring to drag you along on the next Pride

event." Helen replied in exasperation to Maxi's still uncomprehending ears.

THE END

Credits are given as follows

1. To the real life Bodybag and real events which I have drawn on extensively in this fic .

2, To the very kind support and encouragement by Mbers whom I am as always grateful to.


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